


16 Again

by SunshineSpray



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/M, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2020-10-11 08:17:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 131,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineSpray/pseuds/SunshineSpray
Summary: Bulla is thrown for a loop when a seemingly accidental wish turns Goten sixteen again.





	1. I Don't Know You

**Author's Note:**

> This story is already on fanfiction dot net if you're interested in getting ahead. What I am trying to do here though is present chapters free from errors or confusion, so chapters may be minimally different than what is available on that other fanfiction site...👀

Some days Bulla didn’t know whether or not she liked this world of peace she grew up in as she carelessly meandered through the streets of West City on her way home from school. Bulla could easily fly home in a few seconds but she always chose to walk home to allow herself more time for herself and to let her thoughts drift. Trunks always had bedtime stories of wizards, gods, and time travel for her, it made the occasional criminal she encountered laughable. The biggest drama in her life at the moment was her ex-boyfriend dating again—and she didn’t even care! 

Most people wouldn’t let their sixteen year old daughters go out and about unsupervised throughout the city, but Bulla’s parents had nothing to worry about. Anyone who could actually hurt her had the complete trust of her parents, well, her mother at least, maybe not her father, but did he even trust anyone? While Bulla would stop the occasional mugger terrorizing young women, she never experienced the incredible adventures and adversaries her friends and family had faced before she was born. According to her dad, every one of her family members and family’s long time friends had died at least once, even Pan! She was sure she would probably prefer the monotony of everyday life when confronted with the reality of universal destruction but when you can go anywhere in the world in eighty seconds, life on Earth didn’t hold much wonder. 

It was Friday and Bulla had just gotten out of school, the whole weekend ahead of her, and what was she doing? Moping! All because nothing exciting was happening. Her stomach growled, interrupting her from her thoughts. Luckily, she was nearly home, and there was a gallon of ice cream calling her name. It was strange though, she could feel more than the usual energies clustered together in her house. Were they having a party? That meant more food. _ Good. _ That also meant there would be people around. _ Hmmm, not so good. _ Her mom’s friends—her dad would never admit to having any—didn’t usually get together unannounced. Was there a party and she was so caught up in her teenage angst that she didn’t notice?

Making her way toward the familiar energy signatures, Bulla wasn’t prepared for what she stumbled upon in her living room. First, she noticed her brother trying and failing to hold in his laughter, almost choking in the process, and Marron of all people—she’d have to ask Trunks about that later—clapping him on the back. Then she looked toward her dad who was threatening a smile next to her mom who looked definitely unamused. All their attention was on Goku, _ What’s he doing here? _ Bulla wondered, and the boy slumped next to him. She couldn’t see the boy’s face but her entrance must have shifted the attention in the room toward her because he looked up directly at her. Her blue eyes met his warm yet familiar black ones. They stared at each other for a few moments. While she assessed the stranger in her home, he looked at her taken aback like she grew a second head. _ Okay then, just going to ignore you. _

Still his energy felt exactly like Goten’s, maybe it wasn’t as strong, but it was that familiar presence that often lingered about her home during her younger years. Bulla took in his appearance, he was cute, she noted, and she was slightly embarrassed that was the first thing she noticed. He had shaggy black hair, olive skin, and boyish good looks, in fact, when she scrutinized him he looked just like Goku and Goten. In odd situations like this Bulla looked toward her parents wordlessly for some explanation. The threat of her father’s smile was gone now as he frowned at the boy next to Goku. Since no one was saying anything, Bulla decided to break the silence.

“Hi mom, dad, Trunks,” she greeted her family casually, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary. Playing it cool like she wasn’t dying to know the identity of the strange boy with Goten’s looks and energy, she walked up to Marron, her old babysitter whom she looked to as a big sister. Bulla hadn’t seen her in a while and felt like she needed to greet her friend with a hug. “Hey Marron,” she smiled and was received warmly by the older girl.

“It’s great to see you,” Marron said genialy. Any chance for further pleasantries was undercut by the awkwardness in the room. Bulla had to at least acknowledge Goku, whom she had only seen a handful of times in her entire life, and whoever that boy was. Bulla briefly entertained the thought he was Goku’s hitherto illegitimate son that he begat on one of the Universe 6 Saiyan women. She may not have considered Pan’s grandpa a friend or even an authority figure—the guy was a real goofball—but even she knew he was terrified of his wife and woefully innocent. It would probably never occur to him to be adulterous. 

“Hello, Goku,” Bulla nodded towards the older Saiyan. She turned towards the boy with him and extended her hand which he accepted eagerly, beaming at her. _ Wow, he really did a 180. _ “I’m Bulla,” she introduced herself. That seemed to surprise him because he immediately dropped her hand and instead pointed at her accusingly.

“You’re Bulla?!” he shrieked gobsmacked. She didn’t know whether or not to be offended by his reaction. 

“Yes, I’m Bulla,” she said slowly, thinking maybe this guy was on Goku’s level mentally, “What have you heard?” she asked slightly suspicious. Were they all talking about her before she entered the room? Is that why everyone was quiet right as she walked in? She couldn’t ponder it much more as Trunks finally let go of the laughs he was holding in. 

“This—is—too—good,” Trunks managed to wheeze out even as Marron stared at him disapprovingly. 

“What’s going on?” Bulla asked nonplussed. Trunks wouldn’t be the one to answer her as he was still trying to get his laughter under control, Marron looked at her sympathetically but looked just as confused as Bulla felt, Goku looked like he was thinking—Bulla hoped he wouldn’t hurt himself—while her dad just fixed the strange boy with a hard glare as said boy still looked open mouthed at Bulla. _ Definitely going to ignore you. _

Luckily her mother, Bulma, took the reins. “Bulla, honey,” she began, “this is Goten,” she stated matter-of-factly. Bulla wasn’t the most observant person when it came to things unrelated to her interests, but she definitely remembered Goten being older with a stupid slanted haircut. While they didn’t necessarily see each other often, she was pretty sure Goten knew who she was. Maybe Goten was the one with an illegitimate child—also named Goten apparently, _ Ooh his mom is going to kill him! _ Maybe that’s why Trunks was in hysterics. He and Goten always seemed to revel in the misery of the other.

“Should I call you Goten Jr. so as to confuse you with the other Goten? He might not be around much longer, ChiChi is definitely going to kill him once she finds out he’s had a secret love child,” she joked and heard her father let out a bark of laughter at that.

Her mother hmphed, “Bulla, you don’t understand,” she said calmly, “This IS Goten, the Goten you know,” she paused, “well the Goten you _ knew. _” 

None of this was making any sense, then Trunks spoke up, “He made a wish on the dragon balls,” Then it clicked for Bulla. _ No way. _

“What? Really? Why?” Bulla asked surprised and stared back at the boy who was apparently her brother’s best friend having realized he had just aged himself down. Then she remembered what she was thinking earlier, _ Ew! _ She screamed internally. _ I thought Pan’s Uncle Goten was cute! No one must ever know, _she resolved.

“Those are the questions we all want to know the answer to,” Her mother said pointedly looking at Goku, “That Goten is a kid again thanks to the dragon balls is pretty much all we’ve gotten out of Goten and Goku so far, they only got here a little bit before you did.” her mother explained to Bulla calmly—that was so unlike her Bulla thought. Bulma then turned to the two Sons vexed, “How did it happen exactly? He can’t have really meant to gather the dragon balls for that!” _ Ah, there’s my mom. _

Unsure if she was even supposed to be there—after all, she was pretty sure even ChiChi didn’t know at this point or else she’s be in their living room in hysterics—Bulla took advantage of the uncertainty of the situation and parked herself on a chair far from the center of the room. Right now, Bulla was more of a mind with Trunks; the day just got infinitely more interesting. From the way these things usually went, Bulla expected a harassed looking Gohan to fly in with a wildly thrashing and yelling ChiChi any moment now. It’s like that woman had a sixth sense for her husband’s shenanigans. 

While Bulla never spent much time around Goku, it was easy to tell when he was going to say something stupid. It was the tell-tale sign when her father’s energy started slowly rising. Her dad would never admit to being friends with Goku but he certainly knew Goku’s mannerisms and seemed to be the best at predicting the erratic Saiyan’s behavior. Perhaps the strongest mortal in their universe put his hands behind his head and looked up trying to find his words. “He told the dragon he wished he was sixteen again!”

Her father who had been characteristically quiet this whole time, growled in frustration, energy abound. “We already knew that, idiot!” he said harshly, “But if that was his only wish, do we have the other two?”

“Oh no, on account of I used the first two,” Her parents groaned.

“Why didn’t you start out with that Goku?!” her mother said angrily. “You came here in a panic talking about how ChiChi was going to kill you because Goten made himself younger with dragon balls. I thought we could wish him back to normal in a few months, not a year! We’ll never be able to hide this from ChiChi! She’ll blame me too since I gave you the dragon radar!”

Bulla had to hold in her laughter lest she give herself away and they remember she was there. It amused her to no end how everyone was seemingly intimidated by a petite old lady armed with a frying pan so much so that her ultra-confident ‘I-don’t-care-if-you’re-a-god’ mother acted like a kid that just broke something and was trying to hide the evidence. Then again Bulla was never on the receiving end of ChiChi’s ire, ChiChi had a soft spot for Bulla and always gave her the benefit of the doubt especially when she and Pan got into some mischief.

“Why would Goten make such a wish?” Bulma had calmed down, which disappointed Bulla, and wearily touched her brow, eyes downcast.

Goku looked toward Goten as if encouraging him to be the one to speak but Goten just sighed and threw his hands up, “The last thing I remember was going to bed the night before my birthday!” he said exasperated.

Her mother looked sympathetically at Goten and laid a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. “So you don’t have any memories of the past thirteen years, do you?” Goten nodded. “Why don’t you tell us what happened before Goten made the wish?” she addressed Goku.

“I finally remembered I was supposed to wish King Kai back to life—”

“Goku! He died almost thirty years ago!” Bulma interrupted.

Unfazed, Goku continued, “—so I started gathering the dragon balls, but I had to stop to eat a few times.”

“Idiot,” her father muttered.

“It didn’t take me long. Goten musta saw the sky turn dark because he came to see what was goin’ on. He asked me what I was gonna wish for, then I made the wishes—”

“If the first wish was to resurrect King Kai, what was the second one for?” Vegeta asked gruffly.

“I had to wish for a classic car for King Kai since I keep breaking his whenever I train on his planet.”

“A wasted wish,” her father humphed. 

“Then Goten saw the car and was saying how much he liked it and then he said, ‘I wish I was sixteen again and could take this car out.’ Then Shenron said all the wishes were gone and the dragon balls scattered,” Goku finished. 

Bulla didn’t even bother holding in her laughter and laughed along with Trunks. Even the normally empathetic Marron’s lips turned up. Bulla didn’t even care if they kicked her out after this; she got what she wanted, a little color to the otherwise mundane day. They could make her leave and continue the “adult conversations” she wasn’t allowed to be involved in. All they would probably do is go to Namek and borrow their dragon balls, or her mom would make one of her kooky machines to age Goten up and restore his adult memories.

“Both of you are idiots. Like father like son,” Vegeta said but not with his habitual harshness.

Marron, perhaps being the only reasonable character in the room, spoke up, “Uncle Goku, why don’t you ask the Nameks if they will lend you their dragon balls? I’ll admit it’s a frivolous wish but I think they’ll understand and let you use them.” 

Trunks was still smiling but no longer laughing hysterically, “As much as I would love to see Goten go through his awkward teen years again, Marron’s right, the solution has been in front of us the whole time.”

The only people in the room who didn’t look relieved were Goku and Goten, the subject of the wish. “How would you feel about this, Goten?” Bulla asked. She hadn’t planned on speaking up but she had to take pity on Goten who looked so miserable while others were deciding his fate. If she woke up this morning and everyone told her she was really thirty, she couldn’t say she would jump at the chance to age herself up. Startled, the adults in the room focused their gazes back at her, as if they never thought to listen to Goten. _ Typical parents thinking they know what’s best regardless of what we think. _

Goten looked at her gratefully and addressed the others. “Can we not decide anything now? I know I’m supposed to be twenty-nine, but I don’t even remember what my life was like.” He nodded towards her parents, “Thank you for trying to help but I need to process all this first and I just want to go home.” he said melancholic. 

“That’s not a bad idea,” her mom said kindly, “Once you think things over and know what you want to do, we’ll be here to help you think up solutions.”

Bulla was slightly disappointed she wouldn’t get to see ChiChi go full tiger mom. Bulla swore she saw ChiChi’s teeth turn into fangs one time when she was yelling at Goku. Looking at Goten, Bulla began to feel bad that she had been taking the situation lightly. Not that Bulla saw Goten often—he and Trunks didn’t have much interest in playing with her when she was younger, and it suited her just fine since she always had Pan—but from Bulla’s memories, she remembered teenage Goten being rather carefree and happy, even adult Goten was never seen as downtrodden as he looked now. The teenage Goten she observed now looked confused and worried. Bulla took pity on Goten and took the opportunity to quiet the sniggering Trunks. She strode over to her brother and bopped him on the head, “Don’t be a jerk, Trunks! Goten is your best friend, you should be more eager than anyone to help him out!” she said more fiercely than she intended. 

Trunks looked properly chastened while Goten looked at her thunderstruck. _ Didn’t think I could hit so hard, Goten? _She thought. “You’re right, Bulla,” Trunks said resignedly while trying to soothe the spot Bulla made contact, “You didn’t have to hit me so hard, damn,” he mumbled to Bulla. “Sorry, Goten. Whatever is going on, I’ll help you through it, man. I’ll be more than happy,” Trunks told him. Bulla couldn’t help but feel smug that she was more mature and helpful than her older brother. Then Trunks spoke again, “I’ll be more than happy to show you how much fun it is to be twenty-nine than sixteen,” he winked at Goten. 

Okay maybe she wasn’t so much more mature than Trunks because she couldn’t resist, “Damn, Trunks, you didn’t have to let Goten find out about your relationship this way. I think it would have been better in a more intimate setting, you know, without your family around,” she said completely serious.

“What?! No!” Goten jumped out of his chair whitefaced. “I’m not gay!” he pleaded to Bulla. “At least, I don’t think so, are we Trunks?” Bulla almost felt bad as she saw Goten’s panic stricken eyes land on Trunks.

It was Marron who intervened this time, “Bulla that was mean,” she fixed Bulla with a disapproving stare. If it were Trunks or her parents she would have doubled down on her joke but she had always cared about Marron’s approval, and she felt slightly ashamed but only slightly. “That was just one of Bulla’s little jokes. She thinks she’s funny. To my knowledge you and Trunks are not and have never been an item,” she said reassuringly. 

“Listen to Marron and not my bratty sister, bro,” Trunks added putting his arm around his longtime best friend, “Not that I have anything against you, you’re adorable but I think hooking up with you would be too much like incest.”

Goten gave a weak smile to Marron and Trunks, and turned to his father. “I think it’s best we go home, dad.”

“I’ll instant transmit us and we can talk to your mom,” Goku said to Goten. Before anyone could register what was happening, Goku lifted Goten and put him on his shoulders.

“Dad?! What are you doing? Put me down!” a red faced Goten yelped. 

Goku did as he was told but looked bemused, “But I always used to carry you on my shoulders and now that you’re little again, I thought you’d like it.” 

Bulla noticed Goten briefly glance at her but he turned back to his father. “I’m sixteen not seven! I’m way too old for that now,” he insisted. “As if I couldn’t be humiliated any more today…” Goten mumbled.

“Aw, okay,” Goku said disappointed, and with two fingers to his temple, he took himself and Goten from her family’s living room. 


	2. Take It as It Comes

While Bulla did enjoy the company of her West City friends, nothing beat the company of another part-Saiyan. Saturdays were for Saiyans. Mount Paozu was on the other side of the world but Bulla and Pan could fly faster than any jet plane, not even Bulla’s mother had been able to construct a vehicle that could outstrip a Saiyan. Instead of meeting up at some exotic locale, the girls decided to meet at Pan’s house. As Bulla touched down in front of Pan’s house, she felt the energies there. _ So just Pan and Gohan are here then _. Before Bulla could make it to the door to knock, Pan burst out of the door.

“Good! You’re here!” she said as she grabbed Bulla and pulled her quickly towards her bedroom. 

Bulla barely managed a greeting to Gohan before Pan pushed her into the room and shut the door behind them. Being used to Pan’s antics, Bulla just made herself comfortable on Pan’s bed and waited for her best friend to speak.

“You heard what happened with my Uncle Goten, didn’t you?” Pan asked. _ Oh was that all? _Bulla had to crack a smile as she remembered the day before. 

“I _ saw _what happened to your Uncle Goten with my own eyes,” Bulla replied amused. “When we were little I used to think he was so smart and grown up. What was three year old Bulla thinking? Sixteen year old Goten reminds me of your Grandpa Goku.”

Pan smiled at Bulla’s quip, “Really? He’s just like I remember,” Pan said fondly.

Bulla shrugged her shoulders, “He didn’t leave the impression he had much going for him in the brain department. A few dragon balls short of a wish, if you know what I mean.” 

“Maybe cut him some slack, Bulla,” Pan said unbothered, “He just had his brain scrambled by Shenron.”

“You’re right,” Bulla sighed. “Anyway, he’ll be back to normal soon enough. Why did you need to drag me into your room for a bit of juicy gossip I already know about?” Bulla asked.

“That’s the thing,” Pan started, “he’s not going back to normal anytime soon.”

Now that was intriguing, Bulla thought. This little adventure wasn’t going to end so quickly after all. Her interest piqued, Bulla asked the all important question, “Why? And start from the beginning, leave out no details.”

“Grandpa called us over to his and grandma’s house, said there was something important.

“We get there and at first I thought Uncle Goten just got a new haircut but I look closer and he’s a lot younger and I feel out his energy and it’s a lot like Uncle Goten’s but weaker. Grandma went ballistic thinking grandpa had a kid with that one Universe 6 Saiyan girl he trained years ago.”

Bulla started laughing and interrupted Pan, “I thought the same thing too!” 

“My grandpa would never!” Pan said offended.

“I know, I know,” Bulla said trying to keep her giggles under control, “That’s why I quickly did away with that idea, and then immediately thought Goten got a girl pregnant at thirteen.”

“Gross, Bulla,” Pan scrunched up her face in disgust. “What the hell do you think Goten has gotten up to all these years?”

Bulla shrugged. She really had no idea what Goten did in his spare time, hell she didn’t even know what he did for a living and she made frequent visits to his mother’s house.

Changing the subject from Goten’s personal life, Bulla commented “But you have to admit, the image of your grandma accusing your grandpa of philandering on his training trips is really funny.”

“Okay, yeah a little,” Pan admitted, “You don’t know what it’s like to be on her bad side though. You would think YOU were her granddaughter the way she let’s you get away with everything.” 

“What can I say? My natural cuteness is a gift,” Bulla said smugly. She knew, however, that ChiChi’s criticism was a sore spot for Pan, “Go ahead, carry on with the story,” Bulla urged Pan.

Pan tilted her head upwards, “Where was I? Oh yeah, my dad catches on pretty early that it’s actually Uncle Goten and calms down grandma, but instead of passing out like we all expected her to, she’s actually thrilled. _ Thrilled! _” Pan emphasized with her hands. 

“That sounds like your grandma, alright. She says she always likes it when I visit because it reminds her of when Goten and Gohan lived there,” Bulla said empathetically, “You know maybe you should spend more time with your grandma,” Bulla added.

“No thanks, she’ll just make me watch the financial channel so I can become a business woman, and lecture me about fighting, and finding a good man,” Pan rolled her eyes. “Why doesn’t she ever get into that with you? She loves you like one of her own. She should treat you like one of her own,” Pan asked curiously. “She’s never chased YOU around with a frying pan,” Pan rubbed her head probably remembering a specific instance. 

“Probably because I’m not actually her grandkid and I come to see her because I want to and not out of obligation,” Bulla answered bluntly. 

“You want to visit because she’s used to cooking so much for my grandpa and you’re only too happy to take his spot when he’s training,” Pan countered.

“Well yeah but it’s not like I’m deceiving her, she’s the one that invites me,” Bulla replied. “Besides your grandma’s really nice when she’s not yelling.”

Pan looked at her skeptical, but Bulla just chose to shrug and motioned for Pan to continue, curiosity about Goten getting the better of her.

“Anyway, grandma loves the idea of her baby being at home again and squashes down my dad’s idea to just use the Namekian dragon balls to restore Uncle Goten’s memories so we can make sure when he’s aged back to his own age, he’ll truly be back, body and soul.”

That wasn’t a bad idea actually. Bulla had to give Gohan credit, maybe he wasn’t the genius her mother was but he certainly was the one in the group with the most common sense. A wrongly phrased wish could mean a mentally sixteen Goten in a twenty-nine year old body. Maybe the eternal dragon wouldn’t even be able to restore his memories. Bulla had to give it to her best friend’s dad for looking out for his little brother so thoroughly.

“Of course my mom tries to reason with her but it doesn’t even matter because grandpa reveals we can’t use the Namekian dragon balls anyway since Lord Beerus had literally just used them to wish back some extinct animals he just wanted to eat.”

Bulla’s eyes widened at the thought of the destroyer god that she had never met, apparently he could sleep for years at a time, decades even. He must have woken up recently as Trunks had said the last time they saw him was when she was a baby. “Wow, Lord Beerus is awake? You think he’ll make a visit to Earth? Forget Goten, we should be focused on that and take bets if my dad or your grandpa can beat him up.” 

“You don’t need the money,” Pan said uninterested. “And neither do I. Grandpa—my mom’s dad—supplements my allowance when my parents are being stingy.”

“It would still be fun,” Bulla said as she chucked a pillow at Pan’s face. “Kill joy.”

“Hey!” Pan yelped as she caught the pillow.

Bulla ignored her and got back to the subject at hand, “So Goten is stuck as a teenager for about four months. Why did you drag me in here to tell me that in private? Your dad already knows.”

“It’s because…” Pan took a deep dramatic breath, “Grandma insisted that if he is a kid again, he would have to go to school, and guess which high school is the nearest? My high school!” Pan flopped on her bed next to Bulla and screamed into the pillow Bulla threw at her. That only lasted a moment as Pan shot up and began babbling. “Can you imagine!? How am I going to have a social life with my uncle over my shoulder all the time? He’ll probably report my every action to my mom and dad, probably get the wrong idea of what I’m doing, and try to beat up any boy that tries to talk to me.”

“If he only knew,” Bulla snorted. She rolled her eyes, directing her attention to her best friend. “I think you’re making a lot of assumptions here. Admittedly, I didn’t know the man and I know even less about the boy, but he doesn’t seem like a buzzkill.”

“But who wants to go to high school with their uncle? Frankly, it just seems creepy and weird!” Pan appeared to calm down and concede to Bulla’s point, “I guess we don’t know how it will turn out but what if he’s super shy and just hangs around me like a shadow, or people start asking him about me, or he lets it slip we’re part alien, or worse I slip up and call him Uncle Goten?!” she started with a slightly panicked lilt in her voice.

Bulla put a reassuring hand on Pan’s shoulder, “Why are you so obsessed with appearing like a totally normal ridiculously weak human, like your grandpa? You were born to stand out.”

“That’s a line from something,” Pan mumbled. “And don’t talk smack about my grandpa,” she added.

“I know,” Bulla said sagely. She herself got up and offered a hand to Pan, “You can come complain to me about any of those things but only if he does them. Let’s not talk about him any longer. Now, there’s still an all you-can-eat buffet in North City we haven’t been banned from, so let’s go and forget about your Uncle Goten. That’s his drama, not yours.”

“Right,” Pan agreed, somewhat mollified. They made their way out of the house after saying a proper goodbye to Gohan and flew impossibly fast to North City.

They landed within milliseconds of each other. Though Bulla knew neither she nor Pan would admit aloud that they secretly competed to see who had more physical prowess—it would make her father way too happy—Bulla was grateful that they did have a little bit of a rivalry. If they didn’t have each other to push themselves to be faster and stronger, Bulla didn’t know what she would do with the time she usually spent training, shop maybe?

“So this place specializes in eastern cuisine but it’s in North City?” Pan asked once they were outside the restaurant. 

“Yup, let’s see how it measures up to your grandma’s cooking.”

“If you think my grandma’s food is good, you should try grandpa Ox’s cooking. He taught her all she knows,” Pan stated. Pan looked at the restaurant a little warily. It did look a little corny to Bulla’s eyes, they way overdid it with the eastern motifs. “Well even if it isn’t that good at least we can eat a lot of it.” Pan conceded.

“That’s the spirit,” Bulla clapped Pan on the back, “Right now we’re still behind Trunks and your uncle in lifetime bans but we’re still ahead of my dad and your grandpa, Goku,” Bulla hooked her arm through the shorter girl’s and they made their way in.

It wasn’t long before the restaurant staff took notice of the two girls with seemingly bottomless stomachs. Bulla and Pan were on their twelfth and tenth sky high plates respectively when they were asked to leave and told never to come back. Neither of them had their fill but it was what it was and Pan suggested they see what her grandma was cooking up.

Instead of flying at a breakneck pace, they took their time to get back to Mount Paozu.

“You know if you said you were Mr. Satan’s granddaughter, they probably wouldn’t have kicked us out,” Bulla mentioned.

“Same to you. Your family is the richest in the world. You could’ve flashed ‘em your plastic and got the five-star treatment.”

“Pot. Kettle. Black.” Bulla said deadpanned. “I’m not like your grandpa or even you, I don’t like attention.”

“I guess I’m used to it. My parents tried to shield me from it but you know how my grandpa is, he was just really proud to show me off.”

“Well you showed off plenty at your first World Martial Arts Tournament.”

Pan laughed out loud. “I hardly remember that but I did kick that big jerk’s ass.”

“It’s funny you talk about your beloved uncle that way,” Bulla never missed an opportunity for a joke. 

“HA. HA.” Pan spoke sarcastically but she was clearly amused. “I barely remember that too,” she paused, “Do you think he let me win?” Pan asked seemingly thinking of it for the first time. 

Bulla could only shrug in response, “And now you can’t ask Goten either because he’s got no memories!” She said happily. She really was enjoying this situation way too much for her own good. 

“I remember plenty though,” Bulla admitted, getting back on track. “It was after that, that I asked my dad to start training me. It looked like you had a lot of fun and three year old me wanted in on that.” 

“Ooh so I was the one that got you into fighting? I feel so honored,” Pan said mockingly.

“Shut up,” Bulla said mildly annoyed. “I just wanted to learn enough to beat up Trunks like you beat Goten. We’re here anyway,” She quickly said to divert Pan’s attention. As they touched down Bulla felt the familiar energy of ChiChi but also recognized Goku and Goten. Bulla hesitated as Pan made her way to the tiny house of Mount Paozu. “I don’t know if I want to go in after all,” Bulla told Pan.

“Why not?” Pan asked surprised. Bulla saw Pan knit her brows as she thought. “Is it because Uncle Goten and grandpa are here?” Bulla nodded silently. “Since when are you intimidated by them. Come on,” Pan demanded as she pulled on Bulla’s arm.

Bulla intimidated by Goten and Goku? No way! She was even a little offended Pan would think that. “As if!” Bulla huffed. “It’s because of your grandma.”

Now Pan looked even more confused. “What? She loves you, probably even more than me. Now come on,” Pan said reassuringly and let go of Bulla’s arm. As much as Bulla wanted to believe Pan’s words rang true, Bulla knew she wasn’t a Son. She didn’t feel like bringing it up to Pan since Pan would just call her crazy for thinking she was imposing. Bulla followed the older girl to the house but still felt like an interloper as she saw Pan happily plop herself down on an empty seat at the dinner table. Instead of following Pan’s lead, Bulla hung by the door. It was probably ChiChi’s first family dinner in a long time considering Goku was never around and Goten had his own life. Bulla didn’t want to impose herself on their mini Son family reunion. From what ChiChi told her, rarely did she have more than one family member under her roof. 

Three pairs of black eyes stared at her. Goku greeted her with a wave, his mouth too full to say anything. Pan motioned for her to join them but Bulla ignored her. Once again Goten stared at her blankly, but then returned to his meal not bothering to say anything. _ If you can manage to ignore him, it will be like he’s not even there, _Bulla told herself. Before she could think much more about it, a petite older woman blocked her view of the table and enveloped her in a sweet hug.

“Bulla! I’m so glad you’re here!” she gushed, more enthusiastic than usual. “Goten said he could feel your energy here earlier.” Goten who had returned to gorging himself stiffened for a moment when his mother mentioned him but Bulla decided to pay him no mind. “I was hoping you would stop by so I made as much food as I could. Come,” the older woman said as she guided Bulla to chair next to Goten. 

“Hey,” Bulla mumbled as she took her seat. Goten just looked at her blankly, cheeks still full with food. “Don’t talk much do you?” Bulla asked. It was weird. This Goten before her was a total stranger. The guy she was used to was clean cut and polite, if a little boring. She and he never had much in common before but they were always able to exchange pleasantries. This Goten acted as if he didn’t even know her. It wasn’t fair to blame the guy, but it still stung that a lifelong, albeit distant, fixture in her life seemingly forgot all about her.

“Goten! Leave some food for Bulla!” ChiChi barked as she started piling Bulla’s plate high for her.

“Sorry,” the teenage boy muttered as he stopped reaching for the serving spoon.

“Really, it’s okay Ms. ChiChi,” Bulla insisted using the name she had used for Pan’s grandmother since she was little, “Pan and I just came from an all-you-can-eat buffet. I won’t need the usual.”

“Were you banned from the restaurant?” Goku asked, having swallowed the food he had shoveled into his mouth. “What’s your number now?”

“Sixty-three grandpa!” Pan declared proudly and scooped another helping of rice into her mouth. “We’re actually closing in on Uncle Goten and Trunks, and still way ahead of you grandpa,” Pan said with her cheeks full.

“Pan, you should be more like—”

“Have you had your chance to eat?” Bulla interrupted the Son matriarch. Bulla knew what ChiChi was about to say, and hoped to divert any criticism of Pan.

“Oh Bulla, you’re so thoughtful,” ChiChi said slightly louder than normal, giving the other Sons at the table a pointed look. For their part, they looked slightly ashamed but it didn’t stop them from shoveling food into their mouths. Nevertheless, ChiChi sat at the table and began to eat her meal. “It’s so nice having you here for a family dinner, Bulla. You’re the only one who has any manners at this table,” Normally, from anyone else that would be considered passive aggressive but coming out of ChiChi’s mouth, there was nothing passive about it. At least this was directed towards everyone and ChiChi hadn’t zeroed in on Pan.

Keeping with staying on ChiChi’s good side, Bulla decided to make conversation and maybe address the elephant in the room, even though through Pan she already knew the older woman’s feelings on the matter, but before Bulla could say anything, ChiChi spoke with a huge smile plastered on her face, “Did you pass that science test that you were worried about?”

Despite her mother being a prodigy and already a lecturer at West City University when she was sixteen, Bulla had no such propensity towards science. “One hundred percent,” Bulla told ChiChi proudly. Bulla saw Pan make faces as her but she ignored the other girl.

“I knew you could do it,” ChiChi said encouragingly. “Maybe you don’t have the passion your mother or my Gohan have for science but you’re a very bright girl,” she paused, “You know what would be a great idea? If you could help Goten catch up with his school work!” she said positively beaming. Before Bulla could say anything about that idea or push it off on Pan, ChiChi started rambling about how Goten needed to study and how he was so behind. Bulla nodded along politely while she stuffed herself with ChiChi’s delicious food but she had no intention of actually setting up a study date with Goten. ChiChi’s rambling didn’t stop anytime soon though, all throughout dinner she extolled Bulla’s virtues, much to the annoyance of Pan, and directed those comments toward Goten, “Goten did you know Bulla won an essay contest when she was ten...Bulla’s piano recital…first place...science fair...” ad nauseum. Bulla had no idea ChiChi had kept so many tabs on her throughout the years. 

“We get it grandma, Bulla’s ah-mazing,” Pan said annoyed.

“Goten needs to catch up on the past thirteen years!” ChiChi snapped at Pan, “He can’t go around thinking it’s Age 783!” 

“I don’t see how learning about Bulla’s accomplishments will help him navigate Age 796,” Pan muttered, “Besides, the world hasn’t changed that much.” 

“He doesn’t even know about those phone gadgets your generation is so obsessed with exist,” she said fiercely, then kindly to Bulla, “You’ll help him work of those things won’t you? You can show him when he flies you home.”

“I don’t really need an escort, Ms. ChiChi,” Bulla insisted, “Goten’s been through so much already, he should stay home and familiarize himself…” Bulla said lamely, but stopped with a pointed look from ChiChi. Truthfully, she didn’t feel much like spending time with the quiet teenage boy. She had felt a strange vibe radiating off him and it made her uneasy for some reason.

“Nonsense! Goten will be happy to take you,” ChiChi declared not sparing a glance at her youngest son. There was no room for debate, Bulla resigned. She would probably be able to lose him flying as fast as she could without going super. Bulla briefly entertained the thought of turning super just to get home as fast as possible, and as funny as it would be to have her dad appear, Goten hadn’t done anything to her to warrant siccing her dad on him. All he was doing was listening to his mother, maybe the tension between the two of them was just in her imagination. Maybe he wasn’t giving off any sort of vibe, but with Bulla sitting next to him, she couldn’t quite quell the anxiety she felt. She just didn’t know if she was feeling it from him or herself.

The rest of the evening passed quickly enough with ChiChi doing most of the talking, this time telling Bulla all about Goten much to an irate Pan’s chagrin. Bulla had to feel for her best friend. It seemed before, when Goten was an adult, ChiChi had diverted all her expectations onto Pan which Pan did not appreciate as she often confided to Bulla. Bulla would hear about it later as Pan would no doubt complain how her grandma was not so subtly letting Pan know she found her lacking in comparison to Bulla and Goten.

ChiChi gave Bulla a warm hug goodbye, after kicking her out immediately after Bulla offered to help with the dishes as per usual, but ChiChi waved her off this time. Goku gave her a wave and Pan whispered in her ear, “Call me when you get home,” as they hugged goodbye, meanwhile Goten waited for her outside the home. 

Bulla approached the boy, “I’m only going along with this because your mom insisted,” Bulla began rather coldly, “I don’t need anyone to fly home with me.”

Goten looked taken aback by her statement but agreed, “I bet you don’t,” he admitted, “I felt your energy approach when you were coming home from school yesterday. You’re strong,” _ Well that’s the most he’s said all night! _ Bulla could only “Hmph” in response. “You’re a lot like your dad, huh?” he stated unbothered before taking to the sky. Bulla quickly followed him. _ What did he mean by that? _Bulla wondered. The rest of their flight passed silently and before Bulla knew it, she could see the bright lights of West City. She quickly sped up to get ahead of Goten in order to make it home and into her room lest she have to suffer an awkward goodbye with the young man. 

No such luck, when she picked up her speed so did Goten and he landed immediately after her. “My mom wouldn’t appreciate it if I didn’t see you to your door,” Goten said to her as he walked her to the door. _ Dammit, I should have kept my balcony doors open, then I could have just flown in. _The unease she felt earlier had been replaced by frustration and annoyance. Now she understood how her father felt when Goku was around.

“You could have always lied to her. I’m sure you did enough of that when you were older,” Bulla responded snidely and turned her back to him.

“Did we have a history when I was older? Did I do something to upset you?” Goten asked concerned. Bulla turned to see the confused and slightly hurt look on Goten’s face. She began to feel bad for him again. What was she doing? This younger Goten hadn’t done or said anything to her to make her dislike him but here she was acting like he did. 

“No,” Bulla admitted quietly staring down at the immaculate Capsule Corp lawn, then at the horizon, anywhere but Goten’s face. “I’m pretty sure this is the longest amount of time we’ve spent alone together, actually.” 

Before Goten could reply to Bulla, her brother appeared.

“Hey, man,” Trunks greeted Goten with a slap on the shoulder, completely ignoring Bulla. “Come inside and we can catch up since we didn’t get to yesterday, and you can get away from my bratty little sister,” Trunks said acknowledging Bulla’s presence. 

Bulla opened her mouth in indignation but before she could say anything Goten replied, “She’s not a brat. She’s been nice.” Trunks looked a little surprised at Goten’s defense of Bulla and frankly Bulla was surprised too, the only people who would describe Bulla as “nice” were ChiChi, who refused to think badly of Bulla, and her father, whose threshold for “nice” was very low. 

“Whatever,” Trunks said dismissively of Goten’s defense, “I’m your best friend after all. If anyone can help you make sense of your old life, it’s me.” Bulla thought he sounded rather insincere but maybe Trunks didn’t know how to sound any other way, Bulla thought. Bulla took advantage of Trunks’ presence and went to her room relishing being alone after spending so much time around Goten. 

Something was niggling in the back of Bulla’s mind regarding Goten other than her feelings towards him. Instead of calling Pan like she agreed, she called Marron instead.

“Marron.” Bulla’s surrogate sister answered her phone. Bulla rolled her eyes.

“Hey, it’s me, Bulla. You don’t have to use your detective speak. You can say hello like a normal person,” Bulla insisted.

“It’s hard to turn off considering I’m on the job,” Marron said apologetically.

“On a Saturday evening? They don’t treat you right,” Bulla said sympathetically.

“Well I’m not officially on the clock but I take my work home with me,” Bulla could hear Marron sigh.

“Is that what you do for fun? You should have Trunks take you out sometime now that he can’t take Goten anywhere anymore,” Bulla snorted.

“Oh yes, poor guy,” Marron said compassionately.

“Who?” Bulla asked, she didn’t know which guy Marron was referring to, “Goten, because he’s going through puberty again or Trunks, because his relationship is now illegal in the eyes of West City law enforcement?”

“Goten, of course. Though yes, Trunks is perhaps the other victim in this,” Marron giggled.

“You know who’s not upset? ChiChi!” Bulla couldn’t resist telling Marron.

“Really?” Marron asked surprised, “Her son has had his memories from the past thirteen years erased and she’s not the least bit concerned?” Marron asked skeptical.

“Nope!” Bulla said in delight, “She’s so excited. She already signed him up for high school. And all night she kept talking about how happy she was to have her baby back at home.”

“Had dinner with the Sons, did you?” Marron inquired.

“Never miss a thing, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Yeah, I was at the Sons but only after Pan and I were banned from our sixty-third all-you-can-eat restaurant.”

“Oh congratulations!” Marron said genuinely, “But do Goten and Trunks’ numbers go down to Age 783 numbers since Goten doesn’t remember thirteen years of restaurant bans?”

“Good question, I’ll ask Trunks later.” While Bulla realized she was enjoying this conversation, she did call Marron for a reason. “But I didn’t call you to tell you about that,” Bulla revealed.

“I figured there was more to it.”

“I actually called about Goten,” Bulla admitted.

“Oh really? And what’s piqued your interest about him. He is a handsome young lad, isn’t he?” Bulla could hear the teasing tone in Marron’s voice.

“No!” she protested and then cringed that she said it rather loudly. Her cheeks began to warm as she remembered that she did indeed think he was good looking. “I’m not calling for dating advice. I wouldn’t want to date him anyway,” she said trying to keep the embarrassment out of her voice. “I just wanted to ask you a few questions about your mom.”

Bulla could just imagine Marron’s confused expression, “What about her? And how does it relate to Goten?” she asked, curiosity in her voice.

“She’s a cyborg, right? Against her will? She was a human before she became a robot,” Bulla stated.

“You approach things with such tact,” Marron said deadpanned.

“Sorry,” Bulla said sheepishly, realizing she wasn’t the most sensitive person. “There’s a reason I’m asking.”

“Obviously. You’re not going to share what you’re thinking yet?” Marron queried.

“You’re a detective. You’ll figure it out eventually,” Bulla said vaguely.

“That I will. Probably by the end of this conversation,” Marron said knowingly, “Anyway, my mom and dad don’t like to talk about it but I’ve been able to glean a few details throughout the years,” Marron took an audible breath before she started. “My mom and her brother were kidnapped and experimented on by this crazy guy that hated Goku,” she paused for a beat. “She’s not a robot though, all her enhancements were organic, but she’s not really human anymore either,” she stated, giving little detail.

“Why didn’t she ever wish to be human again?” Bulla asked.

“Would you give up your awesome Saiyan powers to be fully human?” Marron replied quickly.

“No way!” Bulla’s father had ingrained the idea in her head that she was better than everyone else because she was part Saiyan, even better than a full-blooded Saiyan, and in her she had so much potential to be the greatest. Plus, she liked having a bottomless stomach and being able to burn off the calories with little effort.

“My dad did try though,” Marron admitted, “He thought that’s what my mom would have wanted.”

“Really? Why didn’t it work?” Bulla asked, curiosity piqued. 

“My dad said my mom was too powerful, more powerful than the dragon’s creator, and if it wasn’t her wish, there was nothing Shenron could do,” Marron answered bluntly.

“How did your mom take it that your dad tried to make a wish about her without her knowing?” Bulla pressed on. 

“Well, he was able to make a wish about her, just not that one.”

“Ooh what was it?” Bulla asked having never heard this particular story before. This is the stuff she wanted to find out. Truthfully, she wasn’t too interested in Krillin and 18’s love story but she did want to know about the wishes the eternal dragon had granted. 

Marron then proceeded to tell Bulla the story of the wish that led her parents to fall in love. What Bulla concluded from Marron’s story was that dragon ball wishes were limited. If someone was stronger than the deity that created the dragon, no wish could be forced upon them that altered the nature of their being or weakened them.

“Even though Goten is weaker now, he’s still stronger than Dende and at twenty-nine he was way stronger. Making himself younger definitely puts the wish in ‘making the wish subject weaker’ area,” Bulla concluded aloud to Marron.

“I think I know what this is about now,” Marron said knowingly. “You think Goten meant that wish? It wasn’t an accident after all?”

“Well I don’t think it was intentional but maybe he felt that way deep down? We should investigate,” Bulla said excitedly, especially at the prospect of working with Marron in her element.

“Leave me out of this one Detective Bulla. I’ve got my own case to work on and I’m getting paid for this one,” Marron said distancing herself from Bulla’s scheme.

“I could pay you even more!” Bulla declared, hoping to tempt Marron into helping her out.

“As appealing as that sounds with my salary, I think what I’m working on is a little bit more important,” Marron stated as a matter-of-factly. 

“Well at least give me some interrogation tips,” Bulla requested feeling somewhat disappointed.

“I’ll leave you with this: Be confident. Let them think you know more than you do.”

“That’s all? Well thanks,” Bulla said disappointed. “But what’s so great about this case that you’re leaving me to fend for myself?”

“Trunks hasn’t told you?” A hint of surprise in her voice. “Well I can see that with the craziness that was yesterday. Anyway, he’s helping me with the case because it happened at Capsule Corp.”

“Woah, what happened there? And why would you ask Trunks for help? He works in the mail room,” Bulla said disdainfully, not thinking much of her older brother’s current career.

“I think it’s admirable he’s trying to work his way up from the bottom instead of having something given to him because he was lucky enough to be born into the richest family in the world,” Marron said without a hint of malice. “Anyway, I can’t give you any specifics in an active investigation, and even if he is just working in the mail room, he has top security clearance and doesn’t mind giving me access. Your mom and grandpa want this resolved as much as Trunks and I do. If I can get this case solved it means I’ll get put on more difficult assignments. You know they don’t really take me seriously at the station,” she finished somewhat sadly. 

“You’ll crack it in no time,” Bulla said trying to give the older girl a boost. “And you’re probably the smartest one there. Your bosses are idiots not to have confidence in you.”

“I will if you leave me to my work, I’ll get this case solved quicker,” Marron said lightly and not acknowledging Bulla’s statement but Bulla knew Marron appreciated her sentiment.

“Okay, I can take a hint,” Bulla accepted.

“Goodnight Bulla,” Marron said warmly. “By the way, I would suggest some string, push pins, and a corkboard. Those will come in handy for your investigation.”

“Thanks for your help. Goodnight and good luck but I still think Trunks is more of a burden than a benefit in this case,” Bulla said.

Marron didn’t acknowledge that but Bulla could hear the smile in her voice. “Bye Bulla.”

“Bye Marron.”

Bulla could still feel the close energies of Goten and Trunks huddled together. Maybe Goten didn’t realize it, but was he so dissatisfied with his life that he wanted to be a teenager again? Is that what adults did? Regret? Bulla was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant spending time with a teenage Goten.


	3. Real Boy

“Trunks isn’t here,” Bulla said turning off the video monitor once she saw who had come to the compound. Bulla just didn’t want to deal with whatever was going on with Go-teen, as she dubbed him in her head, Bulla just wanted to wallow in her misery. Stupid Trunks ate her Friday gallon of ice cream and maybe she had just been so damn hormonal lately and had a complete overreaction but she ended up breaking his nose in retaliation. Her mom had been pissed and actually grounded Bulla, that was the only reason Bulla was even home on Saiyan Saturdays. Her mother had even gone as far enough to make sure her dad would stop her if she tried to leave the compound. After her dad stopped laughing, he agreed with his wife and told Bulla that he’d pull her out of the sky himself if she tried to make her way to Mount Paozu, and her dad didn’t bluff. Bulma even took her phone away so she couldn’t give Pan the go-ahead to sneak in and keep her company. That’s why she didn’t bother putting herself together. If she had to stay home this weekend with no company, she was going to be comfortable and disheveled.

She had procrastinated this week with her Goten inquiry, she just had other things going on, okay? Her ex-boyfriend Garter had been palling around with his new girlfriend with abandon, and her friends wouldn’t stop their hand wringing over it. She was FINE, she insisted to them. Truth be told, she never could get that into him and that’s why things ended. Of course, that didn’t stop the gossip mill speculating she had been dumped for Tanga which was way worse because she couldn’t stand the pitying looks thrown her way. 

Hopefully, Go-teen would just go away, but almost immediately as she turned off the monitor, it pinged back on again and Goten’s face reappeared on the screen.

“I’m not here to see Trunks. I came to see you,” he said, seemingly not at all put off by her rudeness. _ Either daddy and I are losing our touch or the Sons just can’t tell when they’re not wanted. _Goten smiled his stupid charming smile, possibly in an attempt to win her over. 

“That’s not going to work,” Bulla said over the comm. No one could resist the trademark Son smile, not even her dad though he would never admit to such a thing. She was stronger than her father, she told herself, she was immune. Why would Goten come to see _ her _ though? Finding that out was almost a good enough reason to let the youngest Son into her home. 

“Oh, I can come back later then if right now doesn’t work for you? Do you have plans? Did you need to get ready?” Goten asked his smile falling, gesturing to his clothes and hair. _ Now why is he…? Oh, right. This is a two way comm. _ Bulla felt a little embarrassed at her appearance. She shouldn’t, it was only Goten after all, she’d known him her whole life, he probably even helped change her diapers. _ Oh god, push that thought out of your head, Bulla! _

“Yes!” Bulla felt her cheeks warm. “That’s exactly what I meant! I need to get dressed. It will only be a few minutes, just come in and I’ll be down soon.” She may be grounded literally but she supposed this could piss her dad off and maybe he’d look the other way if she broke out if the alternative was hanging out with Goku’s teenage son. It had absolutely nothing to do with the disappointment on Go-teen’s face.

Bulla quickly switched out of her pajamas into more appropriate attire for receiving company and tied up her long blue hair to avoid wasting time brushing it. Bulla made her way to her kitchen where she found Go-teen rummaging through her family’s fridge. Typical Saiyan, she did the same thing at Pan’s house. Despite his gaze not being on her, that uneasy feeling she had experienced at the Son home came back, not helped by the fact that she fell prey to the Son smile. She could feel her heart pounding harder and her breathing coming less easy like she needed to be on her guard, but she resolved to push that uneasy feeling aside and deal with the problem in front of her.

Bulla cleared her throat, alerting him to her presence. Instead of immediately turning to her, Goten grabbed the items he wanted from the fridge and plunked himself down at her family’s breakfast nook. Bulla and Goten just stared at each other quizzically for a moment waiting for the other to speak. When no words were forthcoming, Goten looked away and began eating what he had scrounged from the fridge. _ This is stupid _, Bulla thought. She may as well get something for herself she reasoned. Looking through the fridge she saw her grandma had left some fresh sandwiches for the Saiyans of the household; they never had leftovers.

Bulla joined Goten at the table and quietly began to eat as well. The silence began to grate on her nerves however, and she was the first to speak.

“Why would you come see me?” she asked getting to the point.

Goten swallowed what he had been chewing before answering. _ I guess he has more manners than his father, _“Trunks said—”

“OH, Trunks said?!” Bulla interrupted with sarcastic surprise, “What has he been saying about me?” she demanded standing up from her seat and slamming her hands on the table. Bulla would have thought he would have kept the ice cream incident to himself. She thought he would have more pride than to admit his baby sister broke his nose so bad with one punch that his dad had to fly him up to The Lookout to be healed by Dende. She didn’t need it to get out that she lost her shit over a gallon of ice cream.

“Nothing!” Goten looked terrified of her at the moment. Seeing the scared look on his face, Bulla realized she needed to calm down. She just went from zero to one hundred extremely quickly. What was wrong with her this week? Luckily, she had kept her energy fairly low for this outburst, otherwise she might have smashed the table, and she’d be stuck at Capsule Corp for another weekend.

“I’m sorry,” she said as calmly as she could. Bulla didn’t feel like revealing her strange bout of mood swings that coincided with his being aged down. _ Were they connected? _ Bulla wondered. No, she told herself, what did her mom always say? _ Correlation does not equal causation. _ But once again the tension and weird vibes began to surface by being in proximity to Goten.

“Um, it’s okay,” he said cautiously but kindly. ”But um, all Trunks said was that he’d be busy helping Marron for the foreseeable future and that he heard from Marron that you’d be willing to help me navigate Age 796.” Bulla frowned, why would Marron tell Trunks to send Go-teen her way? Surely, Pan would be more than capable of guiding Goten through his four months in teenage exile? 

“That’s okay, you don’t have to,” Goten assured her focusing on her expression, “Trunks said,” _ Trunks and his bouts of wisdom _, Bulla thought mockingly in her head, “that you had been bored lately and you probably wouldn’t mind a project,” he said scratching his head.

Bulla now looked at Goten in surprise, _Wow that was actually pretty spot on,_ _I guess Trunks isn’t so hopeless after all, he’ll make it out of the mailroom and make his way up to getting the big bosses their morning lattes in a few years. _“And I’ll need all the help I can get,” he added looking at her in anticipation. 

A beat passed while Bulla considered his request. She weighed the pros and cons. Pro: the subject of her investigation was giving her the perfect opportunity to observe him. _ Oh! That’s probably why Marron told Trunks to send Goten my way. _ Con: she would have to spend time with Go-teen. Pro: she was bored and this would help alleviate her boredom. Con: This would probably include helping Goten with schoolwork which would probably be boring and she was trying to get away from boring. Pro: She could finally get access to Goten’s apartment and go through his stuff to find dirt on Trunks. _ That settles it! _

“Of course, I’ll help you,” she said sweetly, but to her own ears it sounded completely false; however, Goten didn’t seem to pick up on it since he was beaming at her.

“Great! Thanks Bulla!” he said appreciatively. Bulla almost felt bad she was slightly using him. Did it matter if her motives weren’t completely selfless or that she wasn’t being totally honest with him as to why she would help him? If he didn’t ask, was she obligated to tell him? Bulla’s answer to all of these questions was a resounding “Nope!”

“We can just eat and you can ask me questions and I’ll try to answer as best as I can,” Bulla offered to Goten as she dug back into her sandwich. 

“Can I have your phone number first?” Goten asked unsure. “You know, in case I have any questions during the week. I can’t come over every time something in Age 796 confuses me.” _ Wow, that’s bold of him. I guess these are special circumstances after all. _

“Sure,” Bulla replied. “Just don’t use this as an excuse to send me whatever funny thing you’ve found on the internet. No one likes that,” she warned Goten as he handed her his phone. “Do you even know how to use one of these things?” Bulla asked curiously, inputting her number. She never did end up helping him after ChiChi’s request.

“Yeah, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.” he said pocketing his phone, “My mom and dad still don’t buy into the idea of a mobile phone. My dad has a secret one he doesn’t tell my mom about though,” he whispered the last part to Bulla.

“So I wasn’t far off thinking you were Goku’s secret love child last week,” Bulla joked.

“My dad?” Goku said incredulously. “Come on,” he gave her a look.

“Your dad’s the one with the secret cell phone,” she pointed out.

“And I’m pretty sure he got it from your mom,” he retorted.

Bulla couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the thought of her mom and Goku having a clandestine affair, causing Goten to join her, “Why are we laughing?” he asked amused but bemused. _ Did he really have no idea what he implied? _That just made Bulla’s laughing fit worse. 

“Just—” Bulla said trying to keep her laughter under control, “Never mind, Goten.” Bulla got herself under control before speaking again, “So what’s it been like for you so far, coming from thirteen years in the past?” Bulla took a bite of her sandwich. Slowly the tension she felt toward Goten was beginning to ease. Unlike the first days of his teenage exile, Goten seemed more comfortable and deigned to speak to her.

“It’s been an adjustment, that’s for sure,” Goten started, “I remember you as a cute three year old, but now you’re a—a—” Goten stopped himself. Bulla raised her eyebrow at him while she continued chewing.

“I’m a—a—what?” she asked slightly mockingly, not particularly bothered by what he might have intended to say. 

“A teenager,” Goten coughed out turning pink, “like me,” he added. “You gotta admit, it’s a little weird. Pan’s even older than I am now,” he said normally, seemingly over his little fit.

“Yeah, it is. Pan and I talked about it last week right after the wish happened.”

“You’re talking about me?” he asked looking a little pleased.

“Well yeah, it was the big news of the week. It’s not everyday something extraordinary happens to one of ours,” Bulla said pretending not to notice the grin that appeared on his face.

“Oh,” he paused thinking “Well how does Pan feel? She won’t really tell me and she keeps her distance from me at school.”

“Don’t worry about her. For what it’s worth I think she’s more mad at your mom for signing you up at the same school,” Bulla assured him.

“Yeah, I noticed things are a little tense between her and mom.”

“Well things are never really easy between Pan and your mom,” Bulla informed him. “I’m sure she’s not mad at you. I think she’s just keeping her distance in case she slips up and calls you Uncle Goten, and you know, Pan. She’s just a little peculiar about her reputation,” Bulla dismissed with the wave of her hand.

“Uh, no I don’t actually,” Goten said sadly. “I missed so much.”

Bulla didn’t even consider how a teenage Goten would feel about his little niece. Bulla tried to search her memories of Pan and her Uncle Goten. The older half-Saiyan was always so sweet to Pan, he had adored her, come to think of it. It must hurt when someone you’re so fond of pulls away from you.

“It’ll only be a few months,” Bulla told Goten reassuringly. “Then you’ll have your memories back.” Though Bulla wondered if Goten would even have it in him to make the wish to turn himself back when the time came. _ Honestly, given the chance, who would wish themselves _ older _ ? _ Her mom was always going on about wishing herself _ younger _, though Bulla had to admit her mom looked great regardless of her age. 

“Anyway, why don’t you tell me how your first week at school was?” Bulla asked, trying to turn the conversation to a lighter topic.

“Aside from Pan pretending I don’t exist, it feels like it always had, I’m just the new kid,” he shrugged, “Classes don’t seem any easier or harder than they felt last week,” he paused, “well last week for me, it was thirteen years ago for you. By the way, you did promise my mom you would be able to help me if I got stuck on any school work.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Bulla said through gritted teeth. When she made that promise, she had not expected Go-teen to take her up on it, but she never wanted to say no to ChiChi, she was fond of the older woman and liked helping her out from time to time.

“Everybody is really nice though,” Goten continued. “I even went to a party Friday night.” Leave it to that charming son of a Saiyan to make new friends that fast. Bulla shook her head. It astounded her how Goten was such a people person. Goten perked up suddenly, “You should come to the next one.”

“Uh, thanks?” Bulla said unsure. “But uh—parties aren’t really my thing.”

“Oh,” he said disappointed, but he quickly shook it off. “Then what is your thing?” he asked happily.

_ What is my—? _Bulla was certainly taken aback, when she and Goten began talking she didn’t expect him to actually be interested in her likes and dislikes but she answered him “I only really hang out with my classmates during the week, most of the time we just goof off at each other’s houses or go to the beach or movies or something but that gets boring,” she said vaguely. She never really kept track of her activities with her West City friends come to think of it. 

“Maybe it’s the company,” he smiled at her. “None of that stuff sounds boring.” That tense feeling bubbling in her stomach started to resurface. 

“I usually like to spend weekends with Pan,” she continued, ignoring the shift in the mood, “We used have Marron with us sometimes but she’s older and has a real job now so she can’t always be hanging out with teenagers. When you guys were here last week was the first time I had seen her in a while.” Wow, that thought made her sadder than she expected though she tried to hide it.

“So, uh, what about you?” she decided to change the subject to Goten. “What was Go-teen doing in Age 783?”

“Go-teen?” he chuckled. “That’s clever.”

“Thank you.”

He pondered for a moment, “I have Trunks so we just do whatever he wants and it’s usually fun.”

_I guess I shouldn’t tell him about the time a vomiting Goten and crying Trunks were brought home by a laughing_ _Yamcha. _Bulla never did find out what Yamcha showed them but apparently it had been Trunks’ idea and it was bad enough that her mom nearly sent her dad to kill Yamcha, and her dad would have been happy to do it. “Trunks is an idiot though and you don’t have him anymore, well at least for four months. Now you have the opportunity to find out what you want to do.”

“I suppose that’s true, but I usually like what Trunks comes up with,” he hesitated for a moment, Bulla could tell, “Why are you so mean about Trunks? Aren’t you supposed to hero-worship your big brother?”

“We may live in the same house but we’re not particularly close.” Bulla stopped to think for a moment. When was the last time she and Trunks spent any real time together? “Come to think of it he usually eschewed my company for yours, and that’s just what it’s like for us,” Bulla shrugged. “He keeps to his friends, I keep to mine. Besides he never seemed that cool anyway, and that means you too by extension.”

Instead of being offended, Goten just laughed. _ He is without a doubt, the least temperamental teenage boy I’ve ever encountered. _“I bet sixteen year old Princess Bulla is too cool for her lame older brother and his best friend.”

“Princess?” Bulla asked puzzled. “I assure you I’m not a prissy little princess,” she said poking him in the chest, feeling the hard muscle there. She quickly removed her finger. 

“Well I mean your dad is the ‘Prince of All Saiyans’,” Goten said in his best Vegeta impression. Bulla thought it needed some work. “That makes you the princess?” 

“Was that a question?” 

“No?” he answered. Normally this kind of thing would annoy Bulla but instead she couldn’t help the grin that came to her face. Man, no wonder why everyone held Goku unaccountable for his flaws. Innocence radiated off Goten and she couldn’t help but get caught up in it, the monster in her stomach retreating.

Her smile must have relaxed him because he seemed more comfortable questioning her. “You mean your dad has never called you ‘the Princess of All Saiyans’?” he asked once again imitating Vegeta.

“Okay first of all, if you’re going to mock my dad, make sure he’s not behind you,” Goten quickly shot up in his chair and looked around wildly. Bulla couldn’t help laughing at her mischief.

“So you’re going to be that way with me too, are you?” Goten said more amused than angry as he settled back down in his chair.

“Yup!” she replied without hesitation, “Anyway, there isn’t a planet to be princess of anymore, or a race for that matter. My dad doesn’t call Trunks a prince either, I guess he wants to be the only one to wear the tiara.”

Goten laughed at her joke and they sat in silence for a while, finishing up their meals. Coming back to himself, Goten spoke again, “I told you, you were strong before. Pan feels strong too. Did you get that way fighting each other?” he asked. Typical Saiyan guy, wanting to measure strength. 

“Pan and I don’t spar all the time, just when we think we’ve gained an edge on each other. Otherwise, we’re training to make sure we outdo each other, but we do need to check periodically who’s stronger. I’ll give you a hint, it’s me.”

He laughed at her, “I don’t remember you being into fighting,” she glared at him “but I guess you were probably too little. I do remember when you went Super Saiyan for the first time, beat my record…” he mumbled, “Hey do you think you can go up to Super Saiyan 2?” he asked excitedly, “Trunks and I joked you were born Super Saiyan Blue.”

“Wait, hold up!” This was news to her, she didn’t even recall when she first went Super Saiyan let alone that Goten had been there. It seemed like she could power up to Super Saiyan since she could remember. After all, she never asked when she started breathing so she never really thought to ask when she first went Super Saiyan. “When did I first hit Super Saiyan?” Bulla wanted to hear this story.

“I suppose it’s a more recent memory for me than it is for you but it was one of those days that Trunks brought you over to play with Pan. Luckily, my dad was there, or Pan would have became a wish.” Goten looked to the ceiling trying to recall his memories. 

“I almost killed Pan?” Bulla asked horrified.

“Maybe, who knows what would have happened?” Goten clearly wasn’t bothered by her distress. “You were only two, I don’t think you meant anything by it, but I think you two were fighting over some old toy of mine my mom kept. Next thing we knew, your hair had gone blonde and you were about to hit Pan. Trunks and I were too stunned to do anything about it but my dad’s quick instincts saved the day,” Goten said trying to imitate a superhero, probably Saiyaman. _ He would like that clown. _ “He knocked you out by the way—it’s probably why you don’t remember—my mom hit him with her heaviest frying pan for that one,” Goten smiled nostalgically. “So my dad probably doesn’t remember either,” he said laughing at his own joke.

Jeez, that was the lamest story of turning Super Saiyan ever, Bulla thought regrettably, as she watched Goten dig into the last of his food. She found herself getting worked up though. Now Bulla may not have looked like the typical Saiyan—she took entirely after her mother—but like her hybrid and full-blooded counterparts, talking about old battles wasn’t good enough.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Bulla said impishly. “It’s what I never get bored of. No matter the company.”

Goten gulped.

* * *

“Aren’t you grounded, girl?” her father asked her stoically shifting his gaze from her to Goten as they entered the gravity chamber her father liked to train in. Bulla figured her dad was due for a meal and he would be leaving the chamber free for a while. She also felt it was the perfect time to test out teenage Goten.

“Daddy, that just means I can’t go flying off anywhere not that I can’t have people over.” It most definitely did not but she was banking on her dad’s ignorance of Earthling parenting methods. “I can only go places within walking distance since I have to say on the ground,” she added pressing her luck and keeping her expression neutral and confident.

Her dad considered her for a moment and took a swig of his water bottle before addressing her, “I suppose that makes sense,” he said swinging his towel over his shoulder and walking out of the gravity room. Bulla waited until he was out of earshot and looked towards Goten, his expression showing the incredulousness she felt.

“What the hell?” Bulla quietly said to Goten in disbelief, lest her father hear, “I can’t believe that worked,” she whispered to him in excitement. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the center of the gravity chamber, where he followed her willingly. “Then when we’re done here, we are definitely leaving the compound,” she said mischievously. She made her way to the panel that controlled the room’s gravity, “How high can you handle it without going Super?” she asked. 

“Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t been in here since I was a kid,” Goten said unsure looking around the gravity room curiously.

“You’re still a kid,” Bulla giggled, remembering the ridiculous situation they had found themselves in.

“Then so are you, but you know what I meant,” Goten quipped back lightly.

“All right. Let’s try 50Gs,” Bulla suggested. Goten nodded in assent. Bulla then realized something. “Wait a minute, I can’t spar in these clothes. What about you?” she asked Goten.

“I’m fine in this,” he shrugged. He was wearing something more typical of a teenager than he was last week when Go-teen was introduced, baggy pants and an oversized t-shirt with his name on it. _ When I get a chance, I’ll need to do everyone a service and use my sizable allowance to get him a new wardrobe because Yikes! _

“Well, while you get used to the gravity, I’m going to change into something I won’t mind getting torn,” she said over shoulder as she exited the chamber briefly seeing Goten’s cheeks turn pink. _ Maybe I could have chosen better words, _ she realized, but Goten was an innocent creature, he wouldn’t dwell on her turn of phrase. She made it to her room faster than her mom would have liked—she always insisted Bulla was going to break something or someone running through the house that fast—and quickly changed into some spandex shorts and a sports bra. 

When she returned, Goten turned to her wide-eyed. Bulla saw his eyes travel from her feet to the top of her head sizing her up. _ I’ll show him. I may look delicate but I can kick his ass. _Bulla positioned herself into her father’s trademark fighting pose. Goten’s wide-eyed stare became a smirk as he got into fighting position. “I’m excited for this,” Goten told her. When he said that, Bulla felt like her stomach had taken off to the skies, but she shook it off, determined not to let Goten’s expectations of her put her off her game. She had never sparred with the older version of Goten, and she didn’t know what to expect but she was looking forward to it.

“Let’s keep it simple, just hand to hand combat, no energy blasts,” Bulla suggested and Goten nodded in assent, keeping his fighting stance.

Sensing Goten wouldn’t be the one to make the first move, Bulla attacked first, testing out the other halfling. She purposefully went with a punch to the face, leaving her core unguarded, seeing if he would take the opportunity to counter-attack. Instead, he didn’t take the bait and just dodged. _ Hmmm, he’s either got something up his sleeve or he can’t recognize a good opportunity when he sees one. _Bulla continued her barrage of attacks on Goten but he still didn’t even try to swing back. Bulla was making it easy on him, she wasn’t even fighting at her full base power and yet Goten seemed to be having trouble. He was getting sloppier and sloppier as the fight wore on. He started off blocking or dodging every kick or punch she threw at him, but then as time wore on he was getting less and less reactive, a few of her attacks were grazing and connecting. Bulla threw a weak lazy kick to his face and he ended up taking it head on like a champ but was thrown to the other end of the gravity room. Was sixteen year old Goten that out of fit fighting shape? This just added more to the mystery. When he was older, Bulla could feel Goten’s power level was nothing to scoff at, though she never had the opportunity to spar with the man. How could Goten, the adult, want to intentionally become younger if it meant being weaker? Bulla pulled back from the fight frustrated.

“I’m giving you so many openings,” she said exasperated from the other side of the room, “Why aren’t you even trying to hit me?” That uneasy feeling was back in full force. When she got a good look at him, she noticed he was bright red, slightly bent over, and breathing heavily. _ Shit, was the gravity too high? _ “You’re the only Saiyan I’ve seen get worse in a fight,” she joked as she went to return the gravity to Earth’s normal level and then went over to check on him. “Hey, you okay?” she asked putting her hand on his shoulder which she assumed would be a comforting gesture. 

“I’m fine!” he gasped out slightly pained. _ I must have hit him harder than I thought. _The boy was still bent over breathing hard. “Could you just—” he breathed out, “give me some space?” 

“Um sure,” she stepped back from the other hybrid still watching him. He seemed to be clutching his stomach—she didn’t remember landing a hit there—no, he was pulling his shirt down. Did he eat something that disagreed with him? That would definitely put him off his game. Still slightly crouched, Goten started making his way out of the gravity chamber slowly. Once his back was turned to her he stood up straight and took up a quicker pace but was still walking stiff. “Hey where are you going?” Bulla called out curiously. “Are we done here?”

Without turning back Goten shouted out, “Yes!” 

“Wait!” Bulla called out after him before he could leave the room, “Where are you running off to? Are you going home already? I wanted to go for ice cream!”

“We can do that,” he managed to croak out, “I just need to go to the bathroom,” he said hurriedly still not facing her, _ Ah definitely stomach issues then. _ “If you’ll excuse me.” 

“Good idea, why don’t you take a shower? I think we both reek,” Bulla suggested just in case he had an accident before he made it to a bathroom. “You can borrow some Capsule Corp gear to wear.”

“Great idea!” he said as he finally made his way out the door. 

Funny. She ate the same stuff and she felt completely fine.

* * *

“In case you’re wondering,” Bulla began as she scooped another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, “An Azuki isn’t popular anymore.”

Goten looked at her incredulously, “An Azuki?! Come on, she was way before my time. I wasn’t born that long before you.”

“You could be old enough to be my dad,” Bulla asserted.

“That’s insane. I couldn’t have gotten a girlfriend let alone a girl pregnant at thirteen,” Goten muttered out somewhat vexed. “Anyway, I’m more into Cocoa Amaguri.” He got a dreamy look in his eyes when he said her name. Though honestly, Bulla had no idea who he was talking about.

“Never heard of her,” Bulla told him bluntly. Truth be told she only knew of An Azuki because of a story her Aunt Tights told her, and suffice to say, it put Bulla off those Eastern idol girls. 

“I guess a lot of time has passed,” Goten got that sad look again. _ This guy, bringing the mood down again. _ “Thanks for treating me for ice cream by the way,” he said. _ Son Goten, ever the model of courtesy. _ It was a welcome change from some of the idiots at school. “Don’t losers usually end up paying though?”

“Beat me next time and then I can be the loser paying for the ice cream then. Don’t worry about it though, my mom gives me enough money to get food around the city. She knows how much we need to eat,” Bulla said nonchalantly. “And enough to tip the staff since she knows they have to work harder whenever we’re around,” she added.

“Next time?” Goten said slowly fixing her with a hopeful gaze. _ Wow this guy really likes the idea of free ice cream. _

“I’m surprised you wanted to go out for ice cream,” Bulla told the black haired boy sitting across from her in the colorful ice cream parlor. He was eating rather ravenously.

Goten looked at her puzzled, “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked. _ I guess I don’t feel like embarrassing him today. _

“No particular reason, I guess,” Bulla said dismissively. Goten shrugged and just continued shoveling ice cream into his mouth and Bulla did the same. 

“Can I get you anything else, Bulla?” the teen boy manning the counter called over to her. Bulla looked at the bowls on the table, they were each on their third triple sundaes.

She looked to Goten, “I think I might have one more in me. What about you Goten?” she asked the other half-Saiyan who was scooping the remnants of his bowl into his mouth. 

“Sure, I could go for another.” Goten said casually. “Ooh with fruit flavored ice creams this time.”

“Hey Tux!” she called to boy working behind the counter. “Give us two more of the works, one with fruity ice creams please, the other surprise me!”

“You got it!” Tux replied and got to work.

“You’re going to make the other customers jealous with your special treatment of me,” Bulla called out to Tux as he made their sundaes. Bulla could feel Goten’s eyes on her as she tried to make conversation, and a quick glance his way confirmed he was indeed watching her and watching Tux as well.

“I aim to please,” Tux smiled at her. “And the big boss says I have to, you’re one of our best customers.”

“How can I not be a good customer when you guys are such wonderful employees,” she said making the boy behind the counter blush. _ That will get him to put more fudge on my sundae than usual. _

“I’d probably lose my job if you weren’t 100% satisfied with my service,” Tux joked as he got back to work making their sundaes. Bulla let him get back to his work and turned to a neutral faced Goten. 

“Are you guys friends?” he asked lightly.

“Not really, I just come here a lot,” Bulla shrugged. “We don’t even go to the same school.” They waited in silence for a few moments until Tux came with their dishes. “Thanks,” she smiled at the ice cream employee and handed him a sizable amount of zeni. “You always go above and beyond, Tux,” Bulla praised him. “Keep the change.”

Tux counted the bills Bulla had handed him and looked pleased, “It’s always my pleasure, Bulla,” he said before he went back behind the counter to help other customers.

“Well I know you can’t be training in your spare time,” Bulla joked. She wasn’t sure she liked silent Goten. He wasn’t even touching the sundae that had been put in front of him, instead he was watching Tux. “Hello?” she waved her hand in front of Goten’s face. “Should I let Trunks know he’s got competition for your affections? I get it, Tux is cuter and more importantly, younger than Trunks.” Goten barely acknowledged Bulla and that feeling of unease came back.

“So this is being grounded?” a teasing voice came from behind Bulla, thankfully interrupting the two hybrid Saiyans.

“Chemise!” Bulla exclaimed and turned to her school friend. Bulla quickly got up to greet the other girl. Chemise eyed Bulla’s table curiously and whispered in Bulla’s ear.

“Who is that?” Chemise asked with her eyebrow raised. “Is this why you say you’re fine when Tanga and Garter are trying to devour each other at school?” she whispered to Bulla. It was all for nought as Bulla knew she and Chemise weren’t far enough for Goten not to pick up what they were saying with his superior Saiyan hearing.

“Not exactly,” Bulla answered vaguely, she wasn’t about to tell her friend her best friend’s uncle accidentally aged himself down with magical wish orbs. Instead she opted to introduce them. 

“Chemise, this is Go-teen—”

“Goten,” he corrected her and took Chemise’s proffered hand. 

“Right, Goten.” Bulla rectified, “He’s a family friend, visiting from the Eastern region.”

“Woah, you’ve come a long way dude,” Chemise said in surprise. 

“Yes, he has, that’s probably why you won’t be seeing him around too much,” Bulla said dismissively. “Anyway, Goten, this is Chemise, a friend from school.”

“Pleasure,” he said. “Would you like to join us?” Goten asked, ever the polite young man ChiChi raised him to be.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your date,” she said mischievously. _ I am going to kill her. _ “I just came over to say hi to Bulla, I never see her most weekends,” she put on a frown.

“You know those are the only days I can hang out with my best friend, she lives way out of town you know.” 

“I know, you love Pan more than your West City friends, but just bring her along some time.” _ Then you guys would find out she’s Mr. Satan’s granddaughter and fawn over her. _

Bulla shook her head, avoiding what Chemise had just said “What are you doing here? You don’t even eat sugar.”

“I’m meeting Leo here,” Chemise said proudly. _ Good for Chemise, _Bulla thought sincerely. Leo was one of the most desireable guys at school, fit as a fiddle and good looking to boot, though not Bulla’s type at all, not that he would look her way anyway, but she was okay with that. She found him a little boring to be honest.

“So he finally wore you down?” Bulla teased.

“Well I needed to make sure he knew I was worth it,” Bulla smiled at her friend’s antics. Chemise turned to Goten, “It was nice to meet you, but I see my date has just walked in,” she gestured toward the tall dark haired boy who had just walked into the ice cream parlor.

“Bye Bulla, see you at school Monday. Bye, Goten, make sure Bulla invites you to my next party,” Chemise said as she walked over to the fit teenage boy staring at her with hungry eyes.

While Goten was polite to Chemise, he didn’t seem keen on making conversation so Bulla took a cue from him and just ate her ice cream in silence. What had happened? Goten had completely shut down after Chemise had left them alone and on top of that Goten and Bulla had spent the better part of a day together and she still hadn’t learned anything new about what might have made Goten wish himself into Go-teen. 

Keeping to the no flying rule, Bulla and Goten walked back to Capsule Corp but still in complete silence, amplifying the weirdness between them. She tried to get him to go home to Mount Paozu but he insisted on coming home with her to pick up his dirty clothes. That was all that was said between them during their trek back to Bulla’s home. 

Bulla figured she would have to be the one to speak up first. She hoped whatever got him down wouldn’t hinder the somewhat friendly relationship they had built today. Once they made it to the entrance of the Capsule Corp compound, Bulla turned to Goten to wind down the evening. “Well, you got to know a bit about what I’ve been up to for the past thirteen years and got caught up on some of the latest pop culture, maybe you can try Marron next week if she’s not too busy,” Bulla said breaking the silence.

“Do you like him?” Goten asked her, completely out of nowhere.

That surprised Bulla, “What are you talking about?” she really had no idea what, or rather who, he was referring to. Who could “him” be and why would Go-teen care about her love life, or rather lack thereof, but he didn’t need to know that.

“That guy that worked at the ice cream parlor, named after clothes...just like everyone else in this city,” he mumbled the last part.

Instead of answering him she got defensive, “How is that any of your business?” she spat.

Goten rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry I asked.”

Pan warned her this might happen, but Bulla didn’t believe her at the time. At most, Bulla thought Goten would just focus any overprotective chauvinistic tendencies he had on Pan, not her, “If you think you have some obligation to scare every boy that talks to me, just remember what happened in the gravity room today,” Bulla said quietly, threateningly even.

“What?!” Goten yelped loudly, Bulla hoped it hadn’t drawn the attention of the occupants of her household, he turned red immediately, then whispered, “Why are you bringing that up? Did you know?” he asked horrified.

That confused her, surely it was obvious she was the stronger of the two and could easily overpower him without even needing to go Super Saiyan, but she remembered Marron’s advice, be confident and let him think you know more than you do. “Of course I knew. You were trying to keep away from me. I got the idea pretty quickly,” she bluffed.

Goten looked like he wanted to die on the spot. Bulla nearly rolled her eyes but controlled her impulse. _ Getting beat up by a girl isn’t the worst thing in the world, dude. _

“I don’t know what you expected, being a teenager again and all,” she said using the opportunity to catch Goten off his guard, maybe she could learn something useful. Bulla shrugged her shoulders, “Everyone is talking about it, you know.” Well that wasn’t true, she and Marron weren’t everyone, but she needed to keep her bluff, and as far as Bulla was concerned the two of them were among the few that mattered. 

Goten looked even more horrified if that was possible, “You told people? Why?” he asked desperately.

“Are you really surprised? You know Pan and I talk about everything,” Bulla said recalling their conversation earlier.

“She knows too?!” Goten exclaimed, no longer caring about keeping quiet. “I wish the dragon balls weren’t inert,” he moaned in despair. Pan didn’t know yet but Bulla was definitely going to let her know how much Go-teen sucked at sparring. Goten was the first to bring up the dragon balls maybe she could unsettle him on that bit too?

“You know, the dragon can’t override the will of someone stronger than its creator. You’ve long been stronger than Dende,” she started, wondering if she should continue. She decided to press on, “The only reason the wish was able to be granted in the first place is because you really did want to be sixteen again.” 

“But my dad said it was an accident!” Goten looked somewhat perturbed. He became quiet, probably reconciling the possibility that the wish could be anything other than an accident. “And what does that have to do with anything that happened today?”

“What? You’re the one who made yourself weaker with your wish. I get it’s embarrassing little Bulla can beat you up but that’s a side effect of wishing yourself younger on purpose,” she accused jabbing her finger at him.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Goten looked at her nonplussed. Wait, were they talking about two entirely different things?

“No, what are YOU talking about?” Bulla asked trying to keep the upper hand. Marron wasn’t going to be impressed.

Goten shook his head in what seemed to be relief, “Don’t worry about it, Bulla. I’ll see you soon,” he smiled at her and saluted as he took off into the sky. Damn, she messed up her interrogation. He saw through her bluff and she wasn’t any closer in solving the mystery of Go-teen.

As she saw him fly out into the sky and fade away into the distance Bulla felt something she rarely felt, guilt. Had she gone too far with her questions? Should she have kept pressing even though she saw he was uncomfortable? There was no use dwelling on it, she reasoned, they weren’t even on the same page. _ But you unsettled him so much he forget to get his clothes. Who knows what the hell he was so embarrassed about? _

As she made her way back into her home, quietly reflecting on the day, she could hear her mom yelling at her dad about what being grounded actually meant.


	4. Sour Candy

_ The strong pounding on her door came so unexpectedly that ChiChi nearly jumped out of her skin. No one who came out to Mount Paozu bothered to knock. Anyone who would drop in unexpectedly to the Son abode would just let themselves in typically. Anyone else who knew where they lived would call before making the trip. ChiChi didn’t know how to sense energy like her husband and sons but whomever was at the door was polite enough to knock and not barge in so she figured there was no reason to be on edge yet, though nothing could have prepared her for the sight of a little blue haired girl in a red polka dot dress smiling up at her and seemingly all alone.  _

_ “Hello Miss ChiChi!” the little half-Saiyan said brightly waving to the woman, “Where’s Pan?” Bulla asked, and instead of waiting for a response, the little girl swerved her head to look behind ChiChi into the small house. When that didn’t give her a good vantage point she slipped between ChiChi and the doorway and walked into the Son home. “Pan!” she called out. _

What in the world!? _ , ChiChi thought. What was Bulma’s four year old daughter doing here by herself and more importantly, how did she get here? It was five hours by plane from their house to Satan City and that was the same region! Bulla lived in West City! Most people would think ChiChi would completely fly off the handle at such a situation but ChiChi was more concerned than angry. _

_ “Pan’s not here, Bulla honey,” ChiChi said trying to get the bouncy little four year old’s attention. Bulla paused her search of their tiny abode and directed her big blue stare at ChiChi. “But how did you get here?” ChiChi asked. _

_ “I flew!” Bulla said proudly, “When I make my hair yellow, I can go really, really fast!” Bulla then looked confused and swiveled her head taking in her surroundings once more, “But Pan lives here,” she insisted remembering her objective. Of course Bulla would think that, ChiChi grumbled in her head. Whenever it was Trunks’ turn to babysit his sister, he would bring her here and Goten would grab Pan and leave them for her to watch while they ran off and did whatever teenagers do. Better her than Goku, she thought, he’d probably egg Bulla and Pan into a fight. The thought put a frown on ChiChi’s face when she remembered Goku had flown off to live in a remote village to train a stranger, but she forced it away not wanting to scare Bulla away. _

_ “No sweetie, Pan lives with her mommy and daddy at the other house,” ChiChi informed Bulla. _

_ “Okay!” Bulla said happily and tried to make her way out the door, presumably to the bigger house located on Mount Paozu. Of course, ChiChi couldn’t let a four year old wander off on her own so she quickly but gently grabbed Bulla’s sweater adorned arm before the slippery little half-Saiyan could exit. _

_ “You can sense energy can’t you?” Bulla nodded, “You can tell Pan isn’t home right now, can’t you? She’s at school,” ChiChi told the little girl in her sweetest tone, “Does your mommy or daddy know where you are?” the child shrugged her shoulders, “Did you tell them you were coming here?” she shook her head, no. “Why don’t you stay here for a little bit?” ChiChi suggested to the now skeptical looking Bulla. “I made a lot of cookies for after dinner today,” she added, trying to sweeten the deal, and instantly Bulla perked up. “Would you like some?” ChiChi asked, but she already knew the answer. Bulla nodded, and ChiChi dropped her own hand from Bulla’s arm to her little hand and led her to a seat at the Son family table, where seated, Bulla’s head barely reached over the table. ChiChi knew how much Saiyans ate and she suspected that she may have to make another batch for Goten when he got home from school. ChiChi grabbed the platter of fresh baked cookies and placed them in front of Bulla on the table. Any normal parent would never do something so foolish as to leave a few dozen cookies in front of a small child but having raised two-half Saiyan sons herself, ChiChi knew what Bulla could and could not handle. Right now, how many cookies Bulla ate was the least of her worries. _

_ “Bulla, go ahead and have as many cookies as you want.” Bulla positively beamed at her, “Be a good girl and don’t go anywhere though, okay? I need to make a phone call.” _

_ “Yes, Miss ChiChi. Thank you, Miss ChiChi,” Bulla replied before digging into the cookies laid before her.  _ Such a polite child, _ ChiChi thought,  _ I wonder where she got that from considering who her parents are.  _ Shaking her head, ChiChi went to the lone phone in her household and made a call to West City. _

_ “Hi ChiChi,” the other woman answered the phone, “What’s up?” she asked seemingly unbothered. She didn’t sound like a mother whose four year old was missing.  _

_ “Bulma, do you have any idea where your daughter is?” ChiChi cut to the chase, she was a little angry but tried to keep her tone even for the sake of the four year old seated in her kitchen at the moment.  _

_ “She’s probably playing in her room, why?” Bulma asked mildly curious. _

_ “You are perhaps the smartest woman in the world but sometimes you can be very dumb!” ChiChi nearly lost it, but she was positive Bulla heard her and resolved to keep her tone more even. _

_ “Hey! How dare you!” Bulma shouted back at her. “Where do you get off calling me dumb, you backwoods mountain hick?” _

_ Before Bulma could say anything else, ChiChi laid into her. “Well you deserve it, ya know! I can assure you, Bulla is not in her room, she’s in my kitchen gorging herself on cookies.” _

_ “Oh okay, did Trunks bring her over?” Bulma asked. “I apologize. I’ll talk to him, he can’t keep foisting off his responsibilities on you,” Bulma said much calmer than she had during her defensive outburst. _

_ “She came here by herself! Trunks was nowhere in sight!” ChiChi quietly hissed. _

_ “What do you mean?” Bulma sounded both confused and concerned.  _

_ “I mean I think no one was keeping an eye on your four year old daughter and she flew over here all by herself as a Super Saiyan, no less!”  _

_ “WHAT?!” Bulma screamed loudly enough that ChiChi had to hold the receiver away from her ear. _

_ “You need to keep a better eye on your child,” ChiChi scolded, and Bulma had no retort. “Don’t worry I’ll take care of her,” ChiChi said, her tone softening. _

_ “Thank you so much ChiChi!” Bulma gushed into the phone, “I can’t sense energy and she’s already so fast...I had no idea she was gone!” ChiChi could hear the apologetic tone in Bulma’s voice. “She has a lethal combination of her father’s power and my free spirit,” Bulma sighed into the phone.  _

_ “Look, the important thing is that she’s safe and when Goten gets home from school I’ll have him fly her home.” _

_ “Right! Thank you for letting me know. I’ll talk with her when she gets home. And if there’s anything I can do to make this right will you let me know?” _

_ “There’s nothing to make right, Bulma.”  _ Wait, she had called me a mountain hick! _ “On second thought, apologize for the ‘mountain hick’ comment and all will be fine.” _

_ “Oh of course, ChiChi! I’m so sorry.” _

_ “I accept your apology. I’ll send her and Goten on their way as soon as I can.” _

_ “I appreciate that so much. Bye ChiChi.” _

_ “Bye Bulma.” _

_ ChiChi hung up the phone feeling a little saddened. ChiChi didn’t know whether or not Bulma would follow up on her discipline of Bulla but she reasoned it wasn’t her place to parent other people’s children, so she would keep her mouth shut...this time. Besides, Bulla didn’t know any better, it didn’t make sense to get angry with her when she had no idea she couldn’t wander off to wherever she wanted. She began to feel for the little girl seated at her table munching on cookies. Was she not getting enough attention at home? ChiChi decided to remedy that if that was indeed the case and took a seat with Bulla at the table. _

_ “How are you enjoying the cookies, Bulla?” ChiChi asked. _

_ “Tasty!” the little girl enthused.  _ At least she doesn’t talk with her mouth full, she could teach some manners to my Goten _ , ChiChi thought. _

_ “What do you want to do when you’re finished with your cookies?” ChiChi asked her kindly, but inwardly she dreaded the answer. What if she wanted to play “showdown” with ChiChi? _

_ Bulla looked contemplative for a second, “I know how to read! I can read you a book!” she said excitedly. ChiChi was relieved. She knew Vegeta and Bulma had no qualms about Bulla fighting and training but ChiChi hadn’t kept up with her martial arts training and she wasn’t sure if she could keep up with a rambunctious four year old who had more strength than she knew how to control. _

_ “That would be wonderful!” ChiChi told the proud looking four year old. Bulla stopped eating and grabbed ChiChi’s hand and asked her where her books were. ChiChi directed them to old Grandpa Gohan’s hut which they had ended up using as storage space and found a few old children’s books of Gohan’s and Goten’s, and Bulla happily read them to ChiChi, occasionally asking for help with some words. It was nice having a little one around the house, ChiChi thought. These days Goten was out of the house more often than he was inside. Just like his father, he only seemed to come home to eat, but he was a seventeen year old boy and she wouldn’t begrudge him his fun. And Pan...Pan didn’t seem interested in her old grandma, ChiChi thought sadly, not when fun Grandpa Goku could train her, and Grandpa Mark could buy her any toy she would ask for, ChiChi just kept coming up short. _

_ Bulla interrupted her reading and brought ChiChi out of her inner thoughts when she told ChiChi excitedly, “Goten is here!” she started jumping up and down in anticipation, and sure enough a few seconds later Goten came through the door. _

_ “I thought I sensed you here,” Goten said as he threw his school bag on the nearest surface and approached the bubbling four year old who immediately threw herself at him. “I’m very happy to see you too,” Goten laughed as she gave him a squeeze. Instead of putting her down, Goten carried the little girl in his arms while he went over to his mother. “Did you make anything for me?” Goten asked her. ChiChi rolled her eyes, typical. _

_ “You’re only getting your after school snack after you drop Bulla off at her house, and that’s only if you come right back, no hanging out with Trunks, you’ll get behind on your homework,” ChiChi told her youngest son firmly. _

_ “But mom!” he whined and predictably offered no coherent argument. ChiChi fixed him with one of her most ferocious stares. Goten gulped and put Bulla down, but the child immediately put her hands back up wanting Goten to pick her up again. ChiChi gave her son another look. Getting the message he picked up the little half-Saiyan, and she comfortably settled herself in his arms, closing her eyes a bit. Maybe she was due for a nap? _

_ “I think she’s tired,” ChiChi told Goten in a much softer tone than she usually used with her relations. “She did fly over here all by herself.” _

_ “What?” Goten looked dumbfounded. ChiChi just mouthed, “I’ll tell you later,” to her son, while she rubbed a sleepy Bulla’s back. _

_ “Goten’s going to take you home now sweetie,” ChiChi told her gently. Bulla nodded in turn.  _

_ “Put me down,” Bulla commanded Goten. _

_ “Yes ma’am,” Goten did as he was told, no doubt amused by Bulla’s temerity, as was ChiChi. Once on the floor Bulla walked over to ChiChi and hugged her legs.  _

_ “Oh, that won’t do, that’s not a proper hug,” ChiChi said as she brought herself down to Bulla’s level. Throwing her arms around ChiChi’s neck in a hug, Bulla leaned in close and kissed ChiChi’s cheek. The Son matriarch smiled at the little girl and bid her farewell. Goten placed her on his back and Bulla waved happily at ChiChi right before Goten took to the skies. _

_ “And stay away from those city girls!” ChiChi shouted out to her son.  _

_ “What an adorable little girl,” ChiChi said staring at that small speck on the horizon that was quickly disappearing.  _

* * *

_ “I told you not to send me this crap.”  _ Bulla relayed to Goten via their text conversation. 

_ “But you were okay with the cat ones.” _

_ “That’s just a family weakness.”  _ It was true, they all had a weakness for cats, even her dad,  _ especially _ her dad.  _ “But that is not a cat. It’s an image from five years ago which is practically ancient.” _

_“I just thought it was funny. :(“ _Goten’s disappointed face couldn’t affect her if she didn’t see it. He could send her as many sad faces as he wanted but as long as none of them were actually his, she’d be fine. She opted not to reply as she felt his energy coming closer and closer, but oddly enough, no Pan. Bulla went back to her messages and made sure she just hadn’t imagined Pan’s confirmation. Bulla hadn’t and sent off a quick message to her best friend asking where she was.

Bulla felt Goten land but made no move to get up from where she was. She was just so damn comfortable in her big bed surrounded by pillows. She didn’t even bother to get up when she heard Goten ringing the communication system. It didn’t matter, he would just let himself in anyway. Instead of plunking himself down in the kitchen like she expected, she tracked his energy right to her door where he just let himself in without even knocking!

“Oh my god, you Sons and your lack of boundaries!” she screamed sitting up as she threw pillow after pillow at Goten. Bulla mentally shuddered remembering back to that one time Goku instant transmitted into Bulla’s room when Pan had asked him to return something of Bulla’s she borrowed. It was best forgotten for both their sakes. 

Bulla’s throwing accuracy was deadly, too bad the most convenient projectiles at hand were pillows, she wished she had something heavier laying on her bed. “What if I hadn’t been dressed?!” she screeched and threw another pillow. “Is that what you were counting on?” she accused.

“What? No…” Goten stammered, throwing his arms in front of his face probably just in case Bulla found more things within arms reach to throw at him, but she was done throwing things and wanted answers.

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” Bulla demanded standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

“Sorry Bulla,” he said apologetically, “but before I made my way here you sent me a message that you were already ready. I thought that meant you were okay with receiving people. I do it to Trunks all the time,” he finished lamely.

“I can see how you might get confused but Trunks is not a girl!” Bulla said still angry. What if it had been like another Goku situation? Bulla turned red, and Goten recoiled probably thinking it was due to her fury. _ No one must ever know,  _ Bulla thought solely thinking of the Goku moment, and pushed it out of her head just as quickly as she recalled the memory.

“I’m really sorry,” he said weakly. He looked like a sad puppy with his big black eyes looking at her innocently. She wasn’t going to...no dammit...

“Whatever!” she screamed out frustrated, more frustrated at herself since she couldn’t seem to stay mad at Go-teen. “Just go downstairs!” she commanded. “I’ll meet you down there—” she paused, “No! Wait!” Bulla stopped him, “Pick up my pillows first,” she ordered. Quickly, Goten scrambled to pick up all the pillows she had thrown and deposited them on her bed before he hastily made his exit. 

Bulla flopped on her bed trying to center herself. Was she overreacting again? After all, these past few weeks were a rollercoaster of moods for Bulla. She had seen Goten a few times since the weekend she had been grounded and it had been an endless cycle of unease followed by easy familiarity, and on top of that, she was forgetting her objective whenever she hung out with him. It was almost driving her crazy, so why did she continue to put herself through it? Never mind. She gathered herself and made her way down to where Goten was in the family room.

“Now what was so important that you had to barge into my room unannounced?” Bulla said making herself known to the jumpy teenager sitting quietly on her family’s couch.

“Again, I’m really—” Goten started but Bulla held her hand up.

“Consider it forgotten,” Bulla said as cooly as possible. She sighed at the guilty look on Go-teen’s face. “Stop it, stop it right now,” she warned. 

“What am I doing?” Goten asked innocently, still giving her that kicked puppy look.

“It’s nothing,” Bulla said dismissively, she decided to go back to her original line of questioning “When you asked to come over, I thought you had some sort of…” Bulla paused trying to find the words, “...agenda...” she trailed off with a wave of her hand.

Goten wordlessly held up a pair of keys.

Bulla’s breath caught in her throat. She tried not to show her enthusiasm, “Are those—?” 

“Yup, my apartment keys,” he said proudly before Bulla could finish her question. “My mom finally gave me the keys after confiscating them immediately when she found out I was wished down.”

“How did you convince your mom to let us sneak around your apartment?” Bulla reached out to touch the keys. Finally! She’d been waiting for the opportunity to see what Goten and Trunks got up to. “She probably thinks it’s a lair of debauchery.” Goten gave her a befuddled look.

“Where’s Pan, by the way?” Bulla asked still staring at the keys, “She and I made plans today. Did you see her before you left Mount Paozu?”

Goten started to look a bit uncomfortable and shifted his gaze away from Bulla, “She’s not, uh, coming.”

“That’s weird,” Bulla commented looking at her phone, Pan still had not replied to Bulla’s earlier message asking where she was “I was messaging her the same time I was texting you, and she said she was about to leave.”

Goten just shrugged like he had no idea but he was doing it rather unconvincingly, he looked a little guilty, and something told her it had nothing to do with his surprise appearance in her bedroom, but at the same time she couldn’t quite believe that Goten had an inclination towards deception.  _ Who knows what goes on in that simple mind?  _

“I guess I’ll just message her to cancel anyway,” Bulla told a relieved looking Goten as she pulled out her phone. “I can’t turn down the opportunity to check out your apartment.”  _ And find out some dirt on Trunks.  _ After messaging Pan, Bulla left Goten in the living room while she went to her room to get a few things. Bulla wasted no time in dragging Goten out to the streets of West City. Unfortunately, Bulla realized something.

“Do you know where your apartment is?” Bulla asked Goten. “I honestly have no idea, I’ve never been there before.”

“How come you’ve never been to my apartment before?” Goten asked her curiously as they ambled around the streets of West City. 

Bulla gave Goten a look, “Are you serious?” she scrunched her face at him. “Do you really think it would have been appropriate for a guy in his late twenties have an unrelated teenage girl over to his home?”

“But we’re friends,” he said simply and rather sure of that fact.

“We WERE NOT friends Goten.”  _ It’s kind of dubious if we are now. _

“Oh,” he paused, “Why not?” Bulla was ready to let out a sigh of frustration,  _ she  _ was supposed to be the one with the questions. 

“Maybe because you’re thirteen years older than me?” Bulla said sarcastically. 

“Gohan was our friend when Trunks and I were little and he’s ten years older than me,” Goten pointed out.

“Gohan’s best friend is a seven foot tall green alien who kidnapped him and forced him to survive a year in the wilderness alone when he was  _ four _ . Suffice to say, that guy is an anomaly,” she paused, “I wouldn’t put it past him to have a case of arrested development,” Bulla quietly mumbled to herself. “And besides, you, Trunks, and Gohan are all guys, and Gohan is your brother, he’s supposed to hang out with you,” she added.

“But Trunks is your brother, and you’re not really friends,” Goten gently argued. “So Gohan didn’t  _ have  _ to be our friend.”

“Yeah well, Gohan has always been nice, like I said, he’s an anomaly,” Bulla gumbled. All Bulla could remember from her childhood was Trunks promising to take her somewhere and then either foisting her off on the nearest trustworthy adult at best or at worst just flaking out on her all together to hang out with Goten or his flavor of the week.

Bulla was saved by further questions from Goten when she felt two familiar energies approaching the two teenagers. Goten must have felt them too because he stiffened and looked towards the direction they were coming from.

“Hey Marron!” Bulla waved excitedly to the older girl who was accompanied by Trunks. She was a welcome sight to see, Trunks not so much. Goten seemed to think so too based on his expression. Marron went in for a hug and Bulla decided to sneer at her big brother from over Marron’s shoulder, “What are _ you _ doing here?” She was still mad about the ice cream incident.

Trunks ignored her and instead clapped Goten on the shoulder, “You didn’t think your mom would let you roam around your old bachelor pad unsupervised when there could be  _ city women  _ roaming around, did you?”

“Actually, she asked me,” Marron, cut in. “For some reason she thought I would be more trustworthy than the guy who probably was responsible for setting you up with all those ‘city women’,” Marron joked. 

“Yeah and you’ve never got up to anything that ChiChi would disapprove of, I’m sure.,” Trunks teased back.

“Well, I never—” Marron began to argue but she took a look at Bulla and stopped herself.  _ Ooh, she was about to spill something on Trunks, wasn’t she? Maybe I can corner her later…  _ “Anyway,” Marron turned her attention to Goten, “Your mom said you were an impressionable young boy so she asked me to supervise in case an old flame of yours came by your apartment.” 

“Yeah,” Bulla interjected, “But why is Trunks here?” she glared at her brother and he glared back playfully.

“Why are you here, Bulla?” Trunks asked coyly, giving her a knowing look. “Why do you have such a vested interest in Goten’s personal life?”  _ Oh no he wouldn’t!  _ Bulla thought with horror. She had repressed those memories and was trying extra hard to repress them now. Bulla felt her face heating up to an extreme degree and if she looked in a mirror right now, she was confident her face would be a bright red beacon. 

“C’mon, leave her alone, man,” Goten, who had been fairly silent since running into Trunks and Marron, said. Bulla was surprised, of all the people to come to her defense! Go-teen was making it a habit of choosing Bulla’s side over Trunks.  _ Maybe I can call him a friend, after all. _ Trunks gave Goten a look she couldn’t identify and was about to say something but closed his mouth instead when Marron shot him a warning look. 

“Trunks is here,” Marron, ever the peacemaker, began to explain, “because he’s bored,” she finished. Trunks only gave a smug grin in turn. “So shall we?” Marron asked the group. Bulla and Goten nodded but made no moves in any direction, after all they still didn’t know where the apartment was located.

“You have no idea where to go, do you?” Trunks asked the two teens. He started laughing then, “What was your plan then, go to every apartment building in town trying the key in every door?”

“Well I thought he would know!” Bulla said defensively gesturing toward Goten. Trunks just shook his head.

“C’mon then,” Trunks said patiently, gesturing for Bulla and Goten to follow, “You guys were at least in the right part of town,” Trunks said over his shoulder as he led the way.

Bulla faintly touched Goten’s hand to get his attention, and they fell back behind, following their two chaperones. “Thanks…” Bulla started, “for back there with Trunks,” she mumbled quietly, but she was sure he heard it because he gave her a beatific smile in return and Bulla felt some squirming in her stomach. In order to ignore that, Bulla quickly decided to pick up the pace and catch up with her old friend Marron, leaving Goten behind. Bulla pulled up next to Marron and cleared her throat to make her presence known to the two adults who were in conversation together. 

“Yes, Bulla?” her brother asked.

“Let me talk to Marron,” Bulla whined childishly as she looped her arm with the older girl. “Go to your best friend.” she suggested brattily.

Trunks put his hands up in surrender and did what Bulla asked—how could he not? Everyone did what Bulla said—and fell back to chat with Goten. 

“You’re a bad detective Bulla,” Marron wasted no time telling her, “You jump to conclusions without waiting and show your hand.”  _ What the hell? Where had that come from?  _

“Are you the world’s greatest detective or something?” Bulla asked incredulously but kept her voice at a normal volume lest she give herself away to Trunks and Goten who were engrossed in their own conversation. How did Marron even know about her botched interrogation of Goten a few weeks ago? To top that off, she still hadn’t even figured out what Goten was so freaked out about a few weeks ago. Not that she was giving it much thought, there were more interesting aspects to her life than Son Goten, like...well, she couldn’t think of anything right now but she was a hot young thing in the greatest metropolis in the world, of course there were more exciting things than a family friend who was aged down thirteen years by a magical dragon. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course there wasn’t.

“Maybe, you should use this opportunity not to talk to me but perhaps eavesdrop on the conversation your target is having with the person who knows him best?” Marron said quirking an eyebrow, and pulling Bulla out of her thoughts. “Just a tip.” Marron winked at her. 

“Maybe you’re onto something,” Bulla conceded to Marron’s expertise. Luckily for Bulla, Trunks and Goten had been too enamoured of each other to pay attention to what Marron and Bulla had been talking about. The sounds of the city muffled together to form a hum of background noise that Bulla hoped would serve as a good cover so Goten and Trunks wouldn’t notice that she and Marron weren’t speaking.

Still huddled with Marron, Bulla focused her attention on the conversation happening behind her, but the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city also made it hard for her to hear their conversation. 

“...sister....adult fun?” Bulla caught a snippet of Trunks’ statement. Bulla hoped against hope that Trunks wasn’t about to spill what he teased at earlier. Or was it possible that Trunks was suggesting Goten have “adult fun” with Bulla? One horrified her more than the other and she felt her hackles rise. Bulla felt Marron squeeze her arm, possibly in an attempt to calm her or to give a warning. 

“Remember what I said earlier?” Marron whispered to the young girl. Bulla took a deep breath and centered herself. “Learn all you can,” Marron said assuredly but quietly.

“....my mom….I can’t…” she heard Goten say, but she missed most of his utterance.

“...old Goten….afraid….”

“...don’t remember…”

“...that’s why...”

“...ice cream...guy…”  _ Wait, did Trunks tell Goten about the one-sided ice cream fight?  _ She said she was sorry...eventually.

“...what...who cares?”

Bulla was only able to make out scraps of their conversation before the group made it to Goten’s apartment building. From where Bulla was standing it looked like one of the many run of the mill high rise apartment buildings peppered throughout West City, a glass rectangular building with at least ten floors, very generic and no character at all,  _ but _ it was in the heart of the city, perfect for the single man about town.

Once inside, Bulla saw neutrals, cream colored walls and beige tiles, as if management didn’t want to offend anyone with a pop of color. Trunks and Marron led Goten and Bulla to the elevators where Goten immediately asked what floor he was on so he could press the button. Bulla rolled her eyes at his childishness but secretly fumed that he got to press the button. She’d get it on the way down, she resolved.

Goten excitedly exited the elevator and turned to Trunks, “Which one is mine?” 

“7C.” Trunks pointed out a door to Goten that wasn’t far from the elevator. Bulla grabbed Goten’s arm excitedly and dragged him to his front door, leaving the two adults behind. 

“Open it! Open it!” Bulla said enthusiastically.

“Calm down, Bulla,” Trunks said playfully, “I know it’s your first time here but I think you’re going to be very disappointed when you get in there.”

Bulla only stuck her tongue out in response. A thought then occurred to Bulla.

“Hey, who’s paying your bills? With ChiChi making you go to school, it’s not like you can work to make your rent money,” Bulla asked Goten.

“After we found out immediately going to Namek was a no-go your mom was nice enough to cover my expenses, she didn’t even ask, she just did it,” Goten said gratefully, opening the door and moving out of the way to let Bulla in first, where she took in the sight. 

First, she noticed the place was tiny. The entrance opened up immediately to a living room and kitchen, and presumably past that was the lone bedroom, bathroom, and a small balcony. Secondly, she noticed the apartment was decorated just as non-offensively as the lobby. There weren’t many personal effects around, nothing stood out that made this place scream, “Son Goten.” It was the same bland color scheme as the lobby, not much furniture, just a couch and a coffee table in the living room with a tv on the wall. The kitchen was immaculate— _ maybe Goten didn’t do much cooking there?— _ with a counter island with only two bar stools, and a small dining table off to the side with a few chairs.  _ Probably doesn’t do much entertaining. _

While Bulla was taking in the apartment, Trunks navigated the place with expert familiarity as if he were showing off his own abode. “Hello, old friend,” he said lovingly to the crappy couch and plopped himself down on it and turned on the television. “Go do whatever it is you wanted to do here, children,” Trunks told the two teens dismissively.

Bulla scoffed, “You could have watched tv at home.”

“Shh...shut up, my stories are on,” Trunks said engrossed by whatever was on television. Bulla looked over to the television, it was a daytime soap opera.  _ Figures. _

Marron’s phone started to buzz, turning everyone’s attention on her. “It’s one of my contacts,” she said looking at her caller id. “I’m going to step out to take this,” she said as she walked to the sliding door that led to Goten’s balcony.

_ Now if I were Trunks, where would I hide my incriminating evidence? _

“Well?” Bulla turned to Goten, “Where should we start?”

Goten looked around disinterested. “I don’t know. You’re more interested in this than I am.” 

“Are you serious?” Bulla asked deadpanned. “This is your chance to see into your future, you’re not in the least bit interested to find out what you’ll become?”

“It won’t mean a thing once I get back to my old age,” Goten said bitterly. Bulla felt a little bit of panic starting to rise in her. She was like her dad in some ways, not really comfortable conversing on deeper stuff, especially with people she didn’t consider herself close to, was Goten trying to have a heart-to-heart with her? Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else, and Bulla decided not to pursue it.

“Let’s check out your bedroom,” Bulla suggested to a now scandalized looking Goten. “Relax, I’m not propositioning you,” she assured him.

“I didn’t think anything!” Goten said innocently defending himself. 

Bulla laughed, “Maybe you have a diary in there or something.”

Goten’s bedroom was even plainer than the rest of the apartment. It only had room for a double bed with a plain solid dark blue bedspread and a nightstand.  _ Ooh hey, what’s that charging on the nightstand?  _ “Hey, Goten, I think that’s your phone.” Bulla went and picked it up excitedly,  _ No passcode, I see!  _ “Lots of missed calls and texts,” she told Goten. Now, Bulla was a nosy person, hence why she was even here in the first place, but like other teenagers, she did have a personal code. Your phone was your most private and intimate possession. One did not just go through one’s phone if they weren’t your enemy. Nevertheless, Bulla sat herself down on Goten’s surprisingly soft bed, and patted the space next door so Goten would join her. “Do you mind?” she asked Goten before she went through his phone. Goten shrugged and Bulla took it as the green light.

“Lots of girls names here,” she said as she looked through who was responsible for the missed calls and texts, “Falyse...Lacy...Gabardine...Georgette...Velvet...Plissé...Sateen…”—each with their own photos to correspond with the names, all gorgeous of course—she rattled off names while looking at Goten to gauge his reaction. Goten merely looked mildly curious and not very interested. “I bet pictures would be more helpful,” Bulla suggested as she opened up his photos. She took a deep breath wondering if there would be no going back after this, what if Goten was one of those guys that sent unsolicited naughty photos? She’d be scarred for life, but her prying nature took over her common sense and she opened the photo app anyway. 

When she looked through the photos, it hadn’t been what she had expected at all. There were a few recent photos of Goten and his friends but it looked like the majority of photos he had saved were family photos throughout the years. There were lots of Pan in cute costumes or with her Uncle Goten, some of young Goten and his dad before Bulla was even born, there was even a cute one of herself and ChiChi when she was little, and Bulla’s heart swelled with affection for the guy seated next to her. Maybe she was all wrong about him. She left Goten to look through his messages and e-mails while she tried to find anything else that would give her insight into older Goten’s life, but the room was spartan. All there was to see that indicated that anyone occupied the room was that the closet was filled with a wardrobe, mostly button down shirts and dress pants with some casual wear mixed in, but nothing spoke to anything particular in Goten’s life, and it didn’t look like there was anything to incriminate Trunks in here either. 

“Well this room is a bust,” Bulla said, “Your older self was totally uninteresting.” she asserted getting ready to leave the room. “What were all those text messages about?” she asked Goten about the only interesting aspect of his life so far.

Goten blushed faintly, but replied happily, “Women who want a second date.”  _ Well I wasn’t wrong about him being a ladies’ man. _

“Maybe you should take some time to reply to them and say you’ll be out of West Metro for a while. It’s not nice to leave someone hanging,” Bulla suggested to Goten. Goten agreed and got to work texting his admirers. 

Once they exited the bedroom, they were met with a smirking Trunks staring at them from where he was seated on the couch. “What were you two doing in there? Making out?” Trunks teased them, presumably taking advantage of Marron not being there to keep him in line.

“Ew!” Bulla screeched, before Goten could say anything, “That is Pan’s uncle!” she practically cried out pointing at an offended looking Goten. “And a grown up!” she protested.

“Seems I hit a nerve,” Trunks said smugly, “I was just teasing,” he said placatingly.

“Well don’t be gross,” Bulla muttered.  _ Her and Goten?  _ That would be so creepy and weird. Yeah he was cute but he’d be back to normal quite soon and she couldn’t fathom how awkward that would be when he reverted to an adult.

“Hey kiddos,” Marron said stepping back into the apartment from the balcony, interrupting Bulla from a train of thought she’d rather not be on. “Did you think to check the filing cabinet in the corner?” Marron pointed out to them.  _ How had we missed that?  _ Bulla wondered.

There wasn’t of much importance in the filing cabinet to Bulla’s eyes, just Goten’s tax forms throughout the years along with some children’s art projects, Bulla began to giggle at the thought of the art projects being Goten’s hobby, but they were more likely Pan’s.

“Well according to your taxes you make about seven million zeni a year as a bank teller at West City Bank. You’ve worked there for eight years at the same position with a small cost of living increase each year,” Bulla deduced from going through the papers.

“That’s what I’ve been up to the last ten years?” Goten asked somberly. “I work at a bank and have never even gotten a promotion?”

“Seems you didn’t even attend university either,” Bulla stated while Marron glared at her,  _ Okay, this probably wasn’t the best time to bring that up.  _ Bulla conceded.

“Okay,” Goten started, “I think we’re done here.” He didn’t wait for anyone else as he walked out the door into the hallway.  _ Oh no, he doesn’t!  _ Bulla thought as she sped up to beat him to the elevator so she could press the buttons. Trunks and Marron quickly caught up with them and Trunks assured them he had the keys and locked up the apartment. The group was silent as they waited for the elevator to reach their floor. 

Once the elevator doors opened, they were greeted with the sight of an ethereal beauty. The dusky unfamiliar woman was tall and willowy with straight long dark hair. She fixed her penetrating dark gaze on Trunks. “Oh hi,” the mystery woman greeted Bulla’s brother with a friendly smile. Trunks seemed unfazed by her beauty but when Bulla looked to Goten, he was practically drooling. 

“Hello Chiffon,” Trunks spoke casually, “Going down?” he asked as he smoothly walked into the elevator. How was Trunks so cool about this? Goten was practically immobile and even Bulla was having a hard time not gaping at her. Marron had to nudge the two teens into the elevator.  _ Snap out of it Bulla! _

“I don’t see Goten around,” Chiffon said to Trunks ignoring the other occupants in the elevator. “Where has he been? I haven’t seen him in weeks,” she pouted prettily. She looked at the rest of them but stopped to stare at Go-teen for a moment. “You look awfully familiar.” 

Goten turned bright red and sputtered, probably due to the fact that the real life goddess in their presence was asking about him. Trunks looked amused by flustered Goten, Marron just looked upon him pityingly but made no move to help him out. You just didn’t do that to friends. Was Goten a friend though? Eh, not really but she didn’t hate him either, and he did save her from Trunks earlier. _Better step in and do some damage control._ _That should makeup for this disaster of a field trip. _

Bulla managed to find her voice and addressed Chiffon, “This is Gomen, the elusive third Son son.”

“Son son?” Chiffon asked puzzled, then asked Bulla, not unkindly, “Who might you be?” 

“I’m Bulla, Trunks’ younger sister,” she muttered, “Gomen is Goten’s little brother. We were just getting some things from Goten’s apartment on account of him being in 439 East District because of a family emergency,” Bulla thought of a lie quickly, and mentally patted herself on the back. “You probably haven’t heard from him since it’s so remote out there. No reception!” she giggled nervously.

Instead of questioning why their group didn’t seem to have any items on them, Chiffon just broke out into a glorious smile and exclaimed, “Oh that is sooo cute, Trunks!”  _ Uh, what?  _ “Your little sister and Goten’s little brother, an item! That’s adorable,” she cooed at the two teens. 

_ What!? Where did she get that idea!? The nerve!  _ Bulla’s first reaction was to angrily protest but Goten’s hand on her shoulder stopped her from saying anything.  _ Right, let’s not dig ourselves in deeper.  _ Luckily, the doors opened to the lobby and Chiffon bid goodbye to their little gang, “Tell Goten to call me when he has a chance,” she said as she made her way to the streets.

Once Chiffon was out of earshot, Marron and Trunks broke into fits of laughter at Bulla and Goten’s expense. “Aww, she thought you were a couple. How sweet,” Trunks said cloying. He was having way too much, at least Marron looked slightly apologetic.

“As much fun as this hasn’t been,” Marron began changing the subject, “I need to get back to work, some lab results got in and I want this case to move fast,” she excused herself from the group.

Before Bulla could make her exit, Trunks spoke up, “The last thing I want to do is be a third wheel. Wait up Mare!” he called out to Marron as he quickly dashed out of Goten’s apartment’s lobby leaving her with Go-teen.

Bulla tensed up as she felt Goten’s arm come down on her shoulders. Bulla could never remember an instance of either young or old Goten being that familiar with her. “Well Bulla,” Goten began, “It’s just you and me and we have all day,” he began, “and my mom happened to give me enough zeni to treat both of us to lunch.” Bulla’s stomach grumbled in response, giving her away.  _ Now I can’t say I’m not hungry. _

One moment Go-teen was short circuiting like a malfunctioning robot and now he was acting rather confident that she would say yes to spending another Saturday with him. She gave up on trying to figure him out, “I know just the place then,” Bulla said agreeing to his invitation, “We need to fly for this one,” she said as she pulled Goten to a deserted alleyway so they wouldn’t be seen taking off. Bulla didn’t even give Goten time to voice his opinion on where they would eat lunch, she just took off and expected him to follow her. He quickly caught up with her but they didn’t say much to each other as they were both flying pretty fast. Bulla touched down on the roof of a tall building in South City and Goten followed. “It’s pretty easy to touch down inconspicuously if we just land on a public building and take the stairs down. Gohan taught me and Pan that,” Bulla explained to Goten.

“So this isn’t the restaurant?” he looked around puzzled.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Bulla giggled. “It’s a few blocks away. Just follow me,” Instead of taking the elevator,  _ it’s better we don’t fight over who gets to press the buttons, _ the two half-Saiyans took the stairs as quickly as they could, first making sure there were no humans lingering about the stairwells.

“Okay now this way!” Bulla pulled Goten excitedly towards their destination. It was a corny looking restaurant with a country western motif and Bulla could tell Goten was unimpressed. “Cheer up Go-teen,” Bulla commanded, “This place serves the biggest steaks in the world.” Goten’s stomach growled in response. 

“Well I guess I’ll give it a chance,” Goten said enthusiastically.

“You already have,” Bulla said mysteriously, as she got ahead of Goten and opened the door to the The Big Southern Steakhouse. They were quickly greeted by the hostess, who of course recognized Bulla.

“Usual table by the hall of fame, Bulla?” the hostess, clad in cowgirl apparel, asked.

“You know it, Filette,” Bulla replied as Filette guided them to their table and handed only Goten a menu. Bulla directed Goten toward a corkboard with polaroid pictures pinned to it. “Look there! See, it’s your picture!” Bulla told him gleefully. Goten burst out laughing taking in the other pictures in the dubious “Hall of Fame,” first there was Bulla’s father, he was even smirking in the photo, then a wide-smiling Goku, even a sheepish looking Gohan, and of course Pan, Bulla, and Trunks, all of them had completed the four kilogram steak eating challenge.

“Welcome to the Big Southern Steakhouse, I’m Kobe, I’ll be taking care of your table this afternoon,” the waiter who was wearing a gaudy button down shirt and ten gallon hat began to say cheerily enough. He was holding his pen and ordering pad ready to take an order. “Oh, it’s you, Bulla,” Kobe said his smile disappearing, his arms falling to his sides, and his demeanor changing immediately to that of the surly waiter with whom she was familiar. “You know you’re not eligible for the steak eating challenge anymore, Bulla,” their exasperated waiter said with his hands on his hips once he realized who was at his table.

“Pssh, I know that,” Bulla said mildly vexed, he said that every time she came into the restaurant, “But what about my friend here? He’s not on your hall of fame, Kobe.”

Kobe looked to the “Hall of Fame” and looked to Goten and narrowed his eyes, “He looks too much like the other four,” he pointed to the members of the Son family, “No deal.”

“Whatever, you know we’re good for it.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. So the usual bloody as hell four kilo steak with all the sides?”

“Yup, make it two!”

“Does he need a pitcher of lemonade too?” Kobe pointed to Goten with his pen.

“Can I have a beer?” Goten asked brightly with his most winning smile.

Kobe just gave Goten a dead stare. “Another pitcher of lemonade, it is,” he said roughly grabbing the menu from a sheepish Goten.

Bulla could make out Kobe muttering about damn kids, competitive eaters, and freaks of nature as he shuffled away from their table to place their order. Goten looked like he had cheered up a bit since looking through his apartment. They briefly chatted about school and friends and kept it light. They even found out that they had even shared some common interests but while Bulla ate enthusiastically and was ready for seconds, Goten was only halfway done with his own meal. To a regular person, he’d be eating voraciously but to Saiyans, it was the equivalent of pushing your food around your plate and not eating. 

“What’s with you?” Bulla asked Goten after she placed her order for another steak with all the sides. “You don’t even want seconds?” she was slightly offended.

Goten let out a breath, “I don’t know if you’re the best person to talk about this with,” he admitted. Okay, Bulla could concede she wasn’t the most sensitive person but she was capable of being somewhat comforting to those she cared about.  _ Did Goten count? Sigh, I guess so. _

“Try me,” Bulla said as nicely as she could muster, she even put a small sincere smile behind it.

Goten sighed, but her smile must have done the trick because he spoke on something deeper than the shallow conversations about school or pop culture, “That trip to my apartment didn’t go as I expected.” Right, Bulla nodded. She remembered how somber he had been when they left. “I thought I would be doing more with my life, but all I do is work at a bank, and it seems like I don’t even like it! I think you were right when you said I meant that wish,” he confessed.  _ Wow, wait until Marron hears this! Straight from the horse’s mouth and I didn’t even have to do anything!  _ She thought gleefully. Bulla knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to gloat, and instead she searched for something comforting to say but was coming up with nothing.

“Oh but what about Chiffon?” Bulla remembered the gorgeous woman they had encountered in the building, “And from what it looked like you had an active social life,” Bulla reminded him in an effort to boost up his impression of his old life.

Goten only hmphed in response, “You didn’t read a lot of those messages. I did.”  _ I guess that wasn’t the right thing to say.  _ “None of them actually seemed to like me as a person,” he hinted.  _ Oh! I see…  _ Bulla figured Goten didn’t need her to respond.

“When you become an adult again, maybe you can change things?” Bulla started unsure, “Maybe this youthful sabbatical is what your older self needed, maybe it’s about rediscovering your passions or even discovering your passion!” Bulla threw her arms wide open in enthusiasm. Bulla thought she was doing a really good job of cheering Goten up. “You’re never too old to start your life in a new direction!” she declared. To her dismay Goten still looked as melancholic as before. “I guess I wasn’t the right person to talk to, huh?” Bulla said slightly disappointed.

“No, that’s not it at all,” Goten said reassuringly. “I know you’re right, that’s just what I needed to hear,” he finished with a smile. “Now why don’t you order me seconds,” Goten suggested as he dug into his plate and finished his first helping. 

The rest of their lunch was followed by easy conversation. Bulla was suggesting game plans so Goten could trap Chiffon once he was old enough, and Goten was laughing at her more ridiculous ideas. Goten insisted on paying this time and flying back with her to West City. Bulla wasn’t going to argue with him this time. Despite not finding any dirt on Trunks, Bulla had to admit, it was a pretty good day and there was no need to get herself riled up for no reason. When they landed at Capsule Corp it was only the late afternoon and she still hadn’t heard from Pan.

“Do you have any other plans?” Bulla asked Goten. “I bet you do,” Bulla asserted. “A young handsome gentleman such as yourself probably charms all the high school girls just like you do with  _ city women _ ,” Bulla teased—though it took her some effort to smile at her own joke—but she was pretty sure he didn’t have much luck with girls, after all, she had seen his lack of charisma first hand.

Instead of becoming flustered like she expected him to, he smiled sweetly at her, “No, no plans at all.” Bulla felt relieved. 

“Want to have a friendly spar where I kick your ass again?” Bulla asked but instead of answering her, Goten looked to the sky. Bulla could feel Pan’s energy coming in hot.  _ So she decided to show her face here after all. _

“I—um—I gotta go!” Goten said hastily and took off into the sky only a moment before an irate Pan landed.

“What’s up Pan?” Bulla asked her dirty and disheveled friend. She was caked in dirt and her t-shirt and shorts ensemble had little tears and there were shallow cuts up and down her arms and legs. When she walked towards Bulla her shoes squeaked with moisture, “What happened to you? You look like you crawled through a swamp, and you smell like you took a swim in the sewer. I swear I could smell you once you reached West City,” Bulla was completely unconcerned by Pan’s appearance. They had been through worse.

Pan could only glare at Bulla’s indifference. “Where did my Uncle Goten go?” she looked around wildly, “He’s probably keeping his energy low so I can’t find him, the coward,” Pan said menacingly pounding her fist into her palm. 

“Oh so he’s responsible for all this?” Bulla asked gesturing to the walking disaster that was Pan. “He’s pretty much been with me the whole day, and you were a no-show I might add,” Bulla said bristling.

“It’s totally his fault!” Pan claimed. “I can’t figure him out. I don’t think he’s deliberately mean but he has some really weird ideas about what jokes are,” Bulla raised an eyebrow giving Pan the cue to continue.

“Right after I told you I would be on my way, he asked me where I was going and I said that you and I had plans today. Then he grabbed my phone from my hands and chucked it as far as he could into the forest and before I could ask him why he did that, he turned Super Saiyan and knocked me out!” Pan threw up her hands. “After I came to, I spent the whole morning and afternoon trekking through whatever—I don’t want to know what—trying to find my phone. I finally found it after looking through places I’d rather not say.”

“Yet you came straight here instead of cleaning yourself up at your house,” Bulla said dryly, and Pan looked at her sheepishly, “Your family’s rich, anyway, why not just get a new phone?”

“My mom said if I lost or broke another phone she wasn’t going to get me a new one. She’s trying to teach me values or something.” Pan muttered, probably not very impressed with her mother’s reasoning.

“But it was Goten’s fault,” Bulla pointed out.

“Yeah, but he’s got that grandpa Goku smile down to pat, she’d believe him over me.”

Suddenly, Pan was knocked over by a large jet of water. Bulla looked in the direction of where the water had come from and standing there was her father holding something akin to a firefighter’s hose. 

“You reek,” Vegeta said bluntly still turning the hose on Pan as she struggled to get back on her feet. “I could smell you from my training room.”


	5. Crush

_Bulla was getting hot_ _but not in a _**_good_** _way. Where Garter had his hand on her hip, she began to feel sweaty, and her jaw was beginning to ache from the barrage of Garter’s lips on her own. Garter’s eyes were closed while hers were open taking in the surroundings of their host’s room. Posters of cars and scantily clad women adorned the walls. _Maybe kissing just isn’t my thing? _Bulla wondered. When Garter began to show her interest, her friends had said to go for it. After all, she never had a boyfriend before, and aside from a few pecks on the lips and hand-holding she experienced in junior high school, she didn’t have much experience with boys. Best of all, Garter wasn’t intimidated by either her strength or appetite. Bulla would never trade her Saiyan heritage for anything but she had to admit, it sucked that boys were put off by it. _That’s their problem, not mine._ Garter was cute enough and furthermore, he was sweet. Her mother told her if she was going to date anyone, it better be someone who was nice to her. Bulla had started laughing at that considering who her father was, but her mom was being serious and was seriously unamused when Bulla pointed it out._

_ Suddenly, she found herself disconnected from Garter, he took her shoulders in his hands and pushed her back from him. “Are you alright?” he asked looking into her eyes concerned. _

_ Bulla looked at him quizzically. “Yeah…” she said unsure, “Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked rhetorically and attempted to kiss him again to completely reassure him everything was indeed all right with her, but he dodged her lips and made Bulla feel somewhat foolish. “Okay, now I’m not alright,” she grumbled feeling embarrassed. “Why did you stop?” _

_ “Your head seems elsewhere,” Garter told her. _

_ “Since when does that bother teenage boys?” Bulla asked jokingly but Garter didn’t seem amused. _

_ “Do you want to rejoin the party and leave Argyle’s room unchristened?” Garter asked seriously. _

_ Bulla scoffed, “Now why would I want to do that?” she tried her best to look seductive and moved closer to him. She DID like Garter, but just maybe not in the way he liked her, but she was in high school—neither of her parents went to high school, her mom had skipped it completely and tackled university, and her dad attended the school of hard knocks—and her mom told her she should experience as much as possible with people in her own age group lest she end up like her. Bulla cringed thinking of her mom’s social circle. _

_ “You’re doing it again,” Garter pointed out, a bit childishly Bulla thought. _

_ “What am I doing?” Bulla asked seriously. _ What is with this guy? He should be begging to have his lips on mine, _ she mentally scoffed. _

_ “Zoning out,” he answered bluntly, “Is whatever is going on in your head more interesting than me and this moment?” he asked tenderly taking her hand and pulling it to his chest. _

_ “Of course not.” Bulla squeezed his hand softly. “Sorry. I’m just thinking about my mom,” Bulla said contritely. _

_ “That’s what every guy wants to hear when he’s getting hot and heavy with the girl of his dreams,” he said ruefully, but his demeanor changed, “But seriously is she okay? She’s not sick or anything is she?” _

_ Bulla could have quickly reassured him and told him the truth, what was going on in her head did interest her more than Garter’s hands all over her but there was also a way out for her where she didn’t have to hurt Garter’s feelings. _

_ “She’s not doing too well,” Bulla said quietly. Garter didn’t really need to know the specifics of what Bulma wasn’t doing well at. Her mom was having a hard time increasing the efficiency output of her Blue No. 15 Electro-Fluid, and as a result, she had been a little testy around the house. _

_ “Oh no!” Garter looked genuinely concerned and put his arm around her in a gesture of comfort. _

_ “She’s such a trooper!” Bulla nearly wailed. _ Calm down, Bulla, don’t lay it on so thick, you’re not nearly so emotive at other times, _ she reminded herself. _

_ “What’s going on? How can I help?” Bulla nearly groaned. Why did he have to be so nice and helpful? Maybe she should take her shirt off to distract him? _

_ “Oh Garter, you’re so sweet but there’s nothing any of us can do,” she said sadly, but she better pull back a bit lest Garter tried to follow up on it, “It will pass, I know it will. My mom just needs rest and she’ll be back to one hundred percent, I’m sure of it.” _

_ He seemed somewhat placated by Bulla’s optimistic tone but still made no move to continue with their makeout session. Did she just kill the mood? _

_ “You’re such a sweetheart Garter,” she said endearingly, kissing his cheek. She wasn’t sure if she was enjoying herself as much as she should have been when she was with Garter but nevertheless, she was having some semblance of fun. Bulla continued placing light kisses on Garter’s face. It seemed to be working since by the time she got to his lips, he kissed her back. _

_ “Now don’t you want to do a little more than kissing?” Bulla asked coyly, pulling away from him and tugging at her shirt. Garter only smirked in response._

* * *

Every time Bulla finished off a pancake, an apron adorned Gohan refilled her plate with another. Honestly, Bulla thought he was playing with fire, one wrong move and his hand could get lost in the crossfire. Bulla loved Gohan, she really did, even though technically they were both in the second generation of the dragon gang, theirs was more of a paternal relationship. She was over so much that he considered himself another father to her. Bulla, on the other hand, thought her own father was more than enough, she didn’t need another father, especially one she couldn’t trick so easily when it came to Earth customs. Even so, Gohan was ever the doting father to Pan and he extended that paternal concern towards the other part Saiyan girl that hung around his house; however, Bulla felt comfortable talking to Gohan unlike how she felt speaking with other adults, which until a few months ago, would have included his younger brother.

“All right, that’s it, I’m out of pancake batter,” Gohan declared throwing his hands up, “Do you want anything else, Bulla? We have cereal, maybe I could make you a few omelets? I want to make sure you’re eating enough,” Gohan asked kindly. _ Yup, thinking like a dad, that one. _

“No thanks, Gohan. That was more than enough,” Bulla answered licking the syrup off her fingers. “Thanks for feeding me, by the way, you know how it is after a long flight,” Bulla said sheepishly.

“It’s never a problem,” Gohan told Bulla definitively, “You know you’re always welcome here to raid our fridge,” Bulla smiled at Gohan’s little joke.

Now that she wasn’t stuffing her mouth with Gohan’s delicious pancakes, Bulla decided to initiate conversation. “So how goes it at the university, Professor Son?” Bulla asked. 

“Same old bureaucratic nonsense,” he began complaining, “Lots of kissing up to donors to get funding for our research but we’re constantly being taken away from our research to beg a rich widow for a grant, it’s an endless cycle. Then we get reprimanded if our research isn’t on the cutting edge.” Goten sighed rubbing his temple. “I can’t say I’d rather be anywhere else though.” Gohan gave Bulla a small smile.

“Because of your barely legal fan club?” Bulla responded cheekily. 

Gohan rolled his eyes, “You, Pan, and Videl are having way too much fun with that,” he said dismissively.

“But it’s so fun to see you flustered,” Bulla teased.

“Did you and Pan really have to tell Videl? She’s been the worst with the jokes,” Gohan bemoaned.

“How could we not let your wife know how much your students love you? We knew she’d be proud,” Bulla responded cheekily. For the most part, Gohan was unshakable except when it came to interested members of the opposite sex. Apparently, it had something to do with a movie star and blackmail...

“I regret inviting you two to tour the campus,” Gohan said remorsefully.

“Don’t beat yourself up too much. In theory, it was a good idea.” Bulla laughed at the older miserable-looking half-Saiyan. _ Oh, the mischief we got into. _“The university wanted a new gym anyway.”

Gohan just gave her a stern look and changed the subject. “Have you given much thought to what you want to do after high school?” 

Bulla sat back in her chair and put her hands behind her head and contemplated Gohan’s question. “I think I’m going to follow in my family’s footsteps and just live off our fortune,” Bulla said happily.

“You can’t be serious,” Gohan said and looked at her disapprovingly. Bulla felt her phone buzz and she ignored Gohan for a moment while she checked who sent her a message. _ “ _ ** _Go-teen_ ** _ ” _showed on her screen. A lot of her messages these days were from him, she noticed. 

_ “What are you doing today?” _

_ “Sense me over here, did you?” _ she quickly followed up with _ “Pan and I are having a girls day.” _

_ “I’m not invited then? :(“ _

_ “Only if you’re a girl” _

_ “I can put on a dress disguise. Pan will never be the wiser.” _ Bulla had to giggle at his silliness _ . _

_ “I’m afraid that won’t work. You smell too much like a boy.” _

_ “Oh well. I tried. See you later then.” He gives up too easily, _she thought. 

“Relax Gohan, I’m more of a go with the flow sort of person,” she asserted, putting her phone away and turning her attention back to the adult in front of her. “Is it any wonder with the examples I’ve had in my life? My dad has effectively retired from his old gig—no one wants him to come out of retirement, by the way—and technically my mom’s never even had a job.”

“She’s an inventor,” Gohan retorted.

“Yeah, but no one has ever paid her for it. Isn’t that the definition of a job?” she asked rhetorically, “She has her own kooky pet projects that never made the company a dime of money, not to mention they’re dangerous to public safety,” she asserted, “Imagine if she mass marketed the dragon radar. What chaos that would bring!” Bulla said gleefully.

At Gohan’s unconvinced look, Bulla attempted to placate him, “Don’t worry, I still plan to go to university, just maybe not yours.”

“Why not?” he asked slightly affronted but curious.

“I don’t want one of your cult members to get the wrong idea about our relationship and try to murder me if you say hi to me when you see me on campus.” Gohan rolled his eyes. “I don’t want blood on my hands and my mom has her hands full,” _ Or should I say fool? _ “paying people off to look the other way when it comes to my dad,” she explained.

“You know it has a great science department, I think you’d do great there,” Gohan encouraged. _ Again with the science. _ It was inevitably brought up when her future was discussed. Why did people act like she was her mother’s clone? Okay, well they did look remarkably alike but Bulla was her own person, dammit. 

“You just told me about the bureaucratic shenanigans behind the scenes!” she said instead of voicing her frustration with the expectations people had of her. “You can’t fool me Gohan, you just want a sizable endowment from my grandpa.” Gohan laughed at her accusation.

“I don’t think you even realized what you just said,” he told her jovially. _ Oh. _

“Don’t be gross! You know what I meant!” Bulla shrieked in disgust.

“Though I wouldn’t mind a grant from Capsule Corporation, maybe then Videl and I wouldn’t have to go to those stuffy cocktail parties with all those rich widows that won’t keep their hands to themselves,” Gohan said wistfully.

“The young ones and _ the old ones _too?” Bulla asked pretending to be scandalized. 

Gohan just let out a laugh though he wasn’t about to let Bulla off the hook, “Anyway, you seem cut out for academia,” he stated. “My mom’s been raving about how you’ve made Goten do a complete turn around with his grades. It’s impressive, he wasn’t bringing home nearly as good grades when I tutored him in his first go at high school.”

“Really?” Bulla asked. “He’s always saying he has trouble in all his subjects. I swear I’m going over there at least twice a week now,” Bulla said slightly skeptical. “I don’t really mind though since Ms. ChiChi makes great dinners.” She had to admit, coming to Mount Paozu more often than usual was fun. She could catch up with Pan in person more often, and she was even starting to enjoy Go-teen’s company even though she still couldn’t get him to spill any of Trunks’ secrets. Bulla knew he knew some, just maybe not any from past the age of sixteen.

Gohan only stiffened at her statement and merely said, “Interesting,” and started to clean up while Bulla went to relax on the family couch and watch some tv while she waited for Pan.

“Do you need help?” Bulla shouted out to Gohan from where she was now laying on the couch in the living room.

“That would be great actually!” Gohan replied eagerly.

“Too bad!” Bulla said as she grabbed the remote and looked for something interesting to watch but nothing caught her attention so she sighed and went back to the kitchen to help Gohan.

He raised an eyebrow upon seeing her, “There was nothing good on tv,” she explained. Bulla looked at the stack of dishes in the sink and decided to tackle those. Gohan was content to hum and keep to his work but Bulla disliked silence.

“You know, it’s weird. I’m always here or at your mom’s house but I never really got to know Goten until now,” she wondered aloud.

“Yeah, he wanted to leave Mount Paozu as soon as possible,” Gohan said absentmindedly, instead he fixed his attention on sweeping.

“To get closer to Trunks I presume?” Bulla joked.

“Maybe, but possibly because of the better cell reception,” Gohan said seriously. _ What were you thinking Bulla? This is Gohan, he doesn’t get jokes. _

“It must have improved since then because Pan and I haven’t had any problems.” _ Wow what scintillating conversation! If only his fan club knew how dull Gohan could be. _Bulla nearly groaned in boredom. “How has it been for you with Goten being sixteen again?” Bulla asked. She realized she never got the elder Son brother’s reaction aside from what Pan had told her.

Gohan stopped what he was doing as he looked to be considering Bulla’s question. “It’s not so hard to deal with,” he started, “We didn’t see each other much in the past years since he was living it up in West City, but now I see him every day,” he paused for a moment. “That’s the easy part,” he said pointedly to Bulla. “The hard part is dealing with my mom.” he sighed.

“What do you mean?” Pan hadn’t mentioned anything but then again, she and Pan had more interesting things to discuss, and when Bulla had gone over to ChiChi’s house she seemed happier than she had been in years even though Goku had taken off to Lord Beerus’ planet again.

“The Namekian dragon balls are going to be recharged soon, but my mom keeps insisting we don’t bother them. She says we should wait until the Earth’s dragon balls are usable again under the guise of not wanting to inconvenience the Namekians,” he breathed out sadly, “Obviously, she’s not ready for Goten to go back to his older distant self.” Gohan spoke the last part somewhat angrily. It didn’t happen often but when Gohan was upset Bulla could see the power in his eyes lurking from behind his glasses. She lamented that she would never get a good spar out of him, he claimed he didn’t do that anymore.

“Maybe that’s the case, but you know your mom, she’s very traditional and courteous,” Bulla said lamely. She knew what Gohan had relayed was the truth. Bulla silently thought of the petite woman in the house near Gohan’s. It was a sad situation for the Son matriarch. Bulla knew the woman was purehearted and valued family and friendships, and how appreciative she was when Bulla came around. Bulla suspected she was filling a hole in ChiChi’s heart. 

“Anyway, whatever her reasoning, it looks like she’s going to get her way,” Gohan said interrupting Bulla from her thoughts. “If she tells my dad not to do something that doesn’t have to do with fighting or eating, he’ll listen to her,” Gohan said resigned. “And it wouldn’t make much sense to go over her head and ask Bulma for a spaceship since she’d get more fired up about how dangerous the trip would be and it’s not worth risking our lives over, yadda, yadda.” Gohan uncharacteristically spoke gibberish. _ This must have been weighing on him for a while, _ Bulla realized.

“So Goten gets a year of being Go-teen?” Bulla asked, making sure she deduced the situation correctly.

“Looks like it,” Gohan said tiredly. “I just think it’s going to be harder for everyone to wait out a whole year rather than a few months.” Bulla had to agree.

The two half-Saiyans finished cleaning the kitchen quickly. Gohan dismissed himself and said he was going to his office to grade papers and left Bulla to wait for Pan in the living room.

Bulla had been in her own head thinking about the implications of a year with Go-teen. Pan would be upset, but she’d get over it. It seemed Gohan was more worried about his mother than anything having to do with Goten. Bulla doubted Goku even remembered he had a son, let alone two and that one of them was magically aged down. Goten’s life started to seem sad to Bulla. It looked like his life was tenuous ties with his family, a string of shallow flings, and professional monotony. Now it made sense why the older man never had much to say when he ran into Bulla. Maybe there was nothing good his life to share. Stirred from her thoughts, Bulla could feel Pan’s energy coming in closer and closer. 

“Hey,” Pan greeted Bulla slightly breathless, “Sorry to keep you waiting with no one but my dad for company,” she apologized.

“I’m more upset you got caught and had to serve Saturday morning detention,” Bulla said in faux disappointment.

“I got sloppy. I’ll admit it,” Pan sighed, “Anyway, I didn’t have to stay long. Mr. Kyoshi said I could leave as soon as I moved all the old desks into the storage trucks. Didn’t take me long at all,” she bragged. “Wanna get going?” Wordlessly, Bulla and Pan left and took flight to Central City, the largest city on Earth with the best shopping.

“So who are you looking to impress tonight that we have to get so dolled up?” Bulla asked Pan as they surreptitiously landed in a deserted alleyway near their destination.

“Sasshi,” Pan answered bluntly.

“That means nothing to me,” Bulla said frankly. “Schoolmate? Crush?” she guessed, Pan nodded, “So not one of the guys from your grandpa’s dojo?”

“Ew of course not!” Pan said in disgust. “Aside from obviously not being my type, they’re all a bunch of gross meatheads who talk about lifting all day.”

“Honestly, I thought you would end up with a guy exactly like that,” Bulla mused aloud, trying to provoke her, but Pan only shot the younger girl an ‘Are you serious?’ look. “Well, what’s so great about Sasshi?” Bulla posed. 

Bulla regretted asking. All during their shopping trip Pan would not stop talking about Sasshi. _ Sasshi this, Sasshi that. Does Sasshi like me too? What about when Sasshi did this? What does it mean? Do you think Sasshi would like me in this? _Bulla didn’t know Sasshi and couldn’t answer Pan’s questions but it’s not like Pan waited for an answer, she just wanted to wax rhapsodize about Sasshi.

“Pan, I love you and everything but I can’t get a word in today.” Bulla interrupted when Pan started talking about how Sasshi did something cute at lunch the other day when Bulla was trying to get an opinion from Pan on the dresses she was holding up. 

“Sorry,” Pan said sheepishly. Bulla felt her annoyance wane when Pan didn’t take it as an opportunity to bring up a time when Sasshi apologized.

“Now, tell me which one I should try on? The blue or the red?” The blue dress was more conservative but Bulla still liked the flared skirt while the red dress was more risqué, slinky, and more likely to grab attention.

“The red. It provides a nice contrast with your hair and eyes,” Pan said straight-forward.

“What color does Sasshi look best in?” Bulla asked impishly as Pan followed her to the dressing rooms. 

“I’d be happy to talk about that if I knew you weren’t being an ass,” Pan said somewhat bitingly.

“I’d rather hear what’s going on with you aside from your crush on Sasshi,” Bulla said sincerely. “Namely, how do you feel about Goten’s extended teenage vacation?” Bulla had been waiting to bring it up since she heard Gohan mention it earlier in the day.

“Oh _ that, _” Pan spat.

“It’s only been like three months,” Bulla said stepping into a stall opposite Pan who went try on her own outfit. “What has he done?” 

“We have the same family name so there was a bunch of crazy rumors that he was my bastard half-brother my dad barely found out about or my full-blooded brother we kept chained in a closet and finally let out,” Pan let out in one breath. “And then he did the worst thing, became more popular than me,” she mumbled from her stall.

“Only child Son Pan, doesn’t like sharing the spotlight,” Bulla said mockingly, “But how come you didn’t say anything until now?” Bulla asked puzzled. “Goten hasn’t mentioned anything about it either.”

“Well, he wouldn’t. He’s too much like Grandpa Goku. I don’t think he has any idea,” Pan huffed in annoyance, “You know how he likes to wear shirts with his name on them? Now it’s become the latest trend at Orange Star High!” Pan said incredulously.

“I didn’t even know he had friends,” Bulla said stepping out so Pan could get a look at her in the short red dress she picked out.

“Binder and Penn are like his best friends,” Pan said coming out of her own stall. Pan’s style was edgier than the flattering feminine ensemble Bulla picked out but Pan still looked great in the pants and jacket she picked out.

“And they are…?” Bulla asked indicating to Pan to twirl so she could see the outfit from the back. 

“The two biggest doofuses in Satan City but they’re the coolest guys in school too,” Pan answered. “I think these are the ones,” Pan declared taking in both their outfits. Pan’s tight pants and leather jacket made her look cool and edgy while the tight red dress Bulla sported showed off her burgeoning curves. “Let’s pay for these so we can get something to eat.” Pan suggested. The girls made their purchases and all the while Bulla learned about Orange Star High School politics.

“Of course, if he’s hanging out with Penn and Binder that means most of the girls are after him too,” Pan said as they made their way out of the store to the heavily populated streets of Central City.

Bulla’s legs stopped working and she paused in the middle of the sidewalk. She felt her ire rise and wrinkled her nose in disgust, “But Goten can barely navigate the modern world. He’s the most clueless idiot on the planet!” Bulla nearly exploded. “I mean, why would anyone be into him?” Bulla started asking Pan but gave her no opportunity to answer. “Besides he’s so much older—even if they don’t know that—and-and—” what else could she say about Son Goten?, “Oh! He needs me to tutor him! And apparently it never sticks because he’s always asking me for homework help. And he got beat up by a girl too!” Bulla said trying to throw out every negative thing she knew about him.

“Bulla stop!” Pan hissed. “People are staring, calm down,” she said much more soothingly. _ Oh no, I’m losing my shit again! _Bulla seemed to register the scene she was making and she was sure her face was lighting up red. “Move along people!” Pan shouted to the few denizens of Central City who were still staring at Bulla, and they acquiesced, however reluctantly. “I think your blood sugar is a little low. You’ll feel better once we get some food in you.” Pan threw her arm over Bulla’s shoulders leading her to the nearest restaurant.

But Bulla couldn’t stop talking about Goten and the girls of Orange Star High School. She was sure Pan was beginning to understand how Bulla felt when Pan wouldn’t shut up about Sasshi. Bulla just couldn’t wrap her head around it. Since when would Goten be appealing to teenage girls—girls _ her _ age? It was sick and weird. He was Pan’s uncle. Uncles are always the creepiest family members. No way would anyone find him attractive. Bulla carried on like that throughout the afternoon, inevitably bringing the conversation back to Goten and his shortcomings when Pan tried to change the subject.

Even on the journey back to Pan’s house, Bulla persisted in her Goten ramblings. Pan finally snapped and told Bulla to shut up.

“Oh god, what is wrong with me?!” Bulla nearly shrieked realizing how obsessed with Goten she sounded.

“Look, this is good for you,” Pan asserted, “If he gets a girlfriend, his studies will take a backseat—much to the displeasure of grandma—and he won’t ask you to hang out so much.” Bulla felt like her stomach had been turned to five hundred times gravity at Pan’s statement.

Bulla decided to let Pan steer the conversations from now on and distracted herself by thinking of the party she and Pan were going to later tonight. Though high school parties weren’t Bulla’s favorite weekend activity, she tried to hype herself up for it. She was going to wear her new slinky red dress with the killer shoes she also picked up, and she knew she would look amazing, maybe she would even find a boy to distract her from the one who kept popping up in her thoughts. Videl offered to help the girls get ready for the party and they ended up looking quite tempting if Bulla did say so herself.

“No beer!” Gohan shouted to the girls as they left, but as per usual they laughed off his warnings. 

As they got closer and closer to Satan City, Bulla could feel out the youthful energy and the overwhelming smell of a typical teenage party, booze, smoke, and sweat. Once they landed, they fixed up their mussed up hair—flying at high speeds would do that—and wasted no time in letting themselves into the party. The home was no mansion but it was still fairly large with a nicely manicured lawn, it would be a shame if someone did something to it. “Who’s the host here?” Bulla muttered through the corner of her mouth. 

“Cilla,” Pan gestured to a harried looking raven haired girl who was currently running around scolding other kids in attendance. “Her parents are out of town. She’s not going to enjoy this night for sure,” Pan explained to Bulla over the loud music. “Might as well enjoy ourselves,” Pan said as she gestured Bulla towards the kitchen where they would presumably get drinks; however, Bulla’s Saiyan senses felt like someone was staring at her. 

“You made it to the next party!” Bulla heard an all too familiar voice exclaim. _Pan specifically said he wasn’t coming! That’s why I even agreed to come! _She thought as she glared at a guilty looking Pan who had somehow pulled the wool over Bulla’s eyes. Bulla didn’t know why she was surprised he was here, after all Pan had informed her earlier that he was Mr. Popularity. _I should have figured it out. This Go-teen shit is scrambling my brain._ _I didn’t even sense him! _Pan quickly excused herself and left Bulla alone to deal with Goten.

Bulla turned around reluctantly to greet the voice that she now felt walking towards her. “So this is what you meant by ‘See you later,’ huh, Goten?” she said before turning to take in his appearance. Bulla slightly felt her breath get stuck in her throat. Bulla hated to admit it, even in her private thoughts, but Go-teen looked down right handsome. He had gotten a haircut, instead of the long shaggy look he had been rocking, he trimmed his hair to a more clean cut look. It made him look less childish and more chiseled. He had eschewed the usually baggy apparel he wore in favor of something more trendy and better fitting. Maybe it was an attempt to look more sophisticated but it still didn’t make up for his personality, Bulla reminded herself.

“Pan said you would be joining us,” he said cheerfully. “You look beautiful, by the way,” he added, eyeing her from head to toe.

Bulla blushed. She was not used to thinking of Goten as attractive in any context, and she certainly wasn’t used to the idea that he would see her as desirable. _ Maybe he’s just stating a fact? I am hot. _“Thanks. Not so bad yourself,” Bulla muttered to the beaming Goten. Seconds of awkward silence passed where Bulla was determined to look anywhere but at Goten, she was pretty sure he was still staring at her. 

Pan had taken advantage of Goten’s attention on Bulla and got the two of them drinks and handed one to Bulla, not that they would do much with their metabolism. “Oh, thank god,” Bulla let out as Pan handed her the drink. “What is it?” she asked.

“Does it matter?” answered Pan.

“No, it does not,” Bulla replied. She was grateful that she could occupy her mouth with drinking instead of having to talk. Her mind immediately went blank when confronted with a Goten she knew was appealing to the opposite sex. Bulla downed her drink to avoid saying anything. It tasted smokey and burned her throat. This wasn’t like her, she _ never _got tongue tied, especially around guys. She always had the upper hand.

“Hey!” she heard Pan say indignantly. “Give it back!” Bulla looked up from where she had been staring at her shoes, _ they _ ** _are_ ** _ nice shoes _ , to see Goten holding Pan’s cup out of the short girl’s reach. _ I guess he’s betting on the fact Pan’s not willing to show off her powers. _

“Kids shouldn’t drink alcohol,” he chastened as if Pan was still four years old.

“I’m older than you!” Pan nearly screamed out in frustration. “And you didn’t even bat an eye when Bulla just chugged her whole drink just now.” _ Oh no, don’t you dare turn this on me! _

“C’mon Goten, you know we’d probably need to down ten drinks before we felt anything,” Bulla said trying to help out her friend, _ and _ it was also a preemptive attempt to stop him from going after her drinks.

“Don’t worry Bulla, I’ll just grab another one when _ he’s _ not looking,” Pan said pointedly to Goten as she took Bulla away not sparing a glance back at her uncle. Once they were far enough from Goten, Pan wasted no time, “I need a favor,” she said quietly lest anyone hear their conversation though that would have been difficult with the music in the background.

“I thought me joining you was the original favor,” Bulla muttered ruefully. She still couldn’t believe she had been duped.

Pan ignored her, “You need to leave with Goten and make sure he doesn’t come back.”

“What?!” Bulla nearly jumped out of her skin. She was hoping to get away and forget about Go-teen but here was her best friend asking her to take him away from the party, _ away from other people, _ and spend time _ alone _ with _ him _.

“Pleeeeease,” Pan begged, “He’s not going to let me have any fun and he’ll be watching me like a hawk like he’s doing now.” Bulla looked to where Goten was standing, sipping on Pan’s stolen drink, his fathomless black eyes positively smouldering as he stared right at Bulla. _ Don’t be silly, he’s just keeping an eye on us, typical overprotective uncle. _

“From your expression earlier, you knew he’d be here. Why didn’t you plan for this eventuality?” Bulla said somewhat indignantly after shaking off Goten’s stare.

“I did,” Pan said mischievously. Before Bulla could register what was happening, Pan had dragged Bulla across the room and threw her into Goten’s arms. Thankfully, he had put down the drink.

Goten caught her and smiled down at her, “It’s not every day I get a princess in my arms.” Bulla looked up at Goten and instantly felt _ something. _She hastily detangled herself from the bigger half-Saiyan and instantly felt cold. 

“Goten, come dance with me!” a girlish voice interrupted them. A pretty petite blonde girl appeared and took a stunned Goten by the arm, leading him away from Bulla.

“Who was that?” Bulla asked Pan who had just rejoined her.

“Page. She’s actually the daughter of my mom’s best friend from high school,” Pan explained “She’s nice but a real flirt too, but I think you can take her.” Pan said confidently.

“Hey, I still didn’t agree!” Bulla said shrilly, but took one look at Pan’s “sad Son face” and she muttered, “Fine.”

“Now go get your man,” Pan said encouragingly and spanked Bulla. 

“He’s not my man,” she protested. _ Pan really needs to stay away from the jocks. _Bulla rubbed her behind which stung from Pan’s not so gentle pat.

It didn’t seem like Page had much luck getting Go-teen all to herself, anyway. He was surrounded by a few girls on the dancefloor and much to Bulla’s annoyance he seemed to be enjoying himself. _ I’m only irritated because it will only make my job that much harder, _she told herself. 

Maybe she didn’t have to take Goten away, she could fly home and call up Chemise and still enjoy her Saturday. Go-teen was being distracted enough by the Orange Star High School girls that he wasn’t paying attention to Pan who wasted no time engaging in conversation with a tall, slim brunette, _ BUT _Bulla would be doing the girls of Orange Star High a favor by saving them from Go-teen’s pathetic attempts at flirting. Watching them was beginning to get on Bulla’s nerves and she could only take so much—

“If looks could kill…” a deep voice said right by her ear. She was so startled she nearly punched the guy. Bulla was getting rusty, how did she not sense that guy near?

“Binder,” the guy greeted her and held out his hand. _ That name rings a bell. Oh, it’s right there on his shirt. Pan was right. _He was taller than average and well muscled. The first thing Bulla noticed was the smattering of freckles across his nose. It added some charm to his otherwise handsome features. 

She took his hand and shook it, “Bulla,” she replied curtly and immediately turned her attention back to Go-teen and his harem. 

Evidently, Binder took that as an invitation because he wasted no time in putting his long arm around her shoulders. “Now what’s a girl that looks like you doing wasting her time glaring at Mr. Son over there when she could be mingling around more available guys?” he raised his eyebrows at her. _ Oh, yuck! _

Bulla gently removed his arm from her shoulders and found her voice, “First of all, I was not glaring.” Binder did not look put off at all by her bold attitude, instead he continued to grin at her with his row of perfectly straight white teeth. “And second of all, I don’t see any guys around here worth my time.” 

“Including Son Goten?” he said smirking. Bulla merely huffed and turned away from him. She didn’t want to be having this conversation right now. “Hey, I get it,” Binder said with some measure of understanding. “It’s not fair that he gets his pick of girls while you and I just stand here moping.” For some reason Bulla hadn’t told Binder to go away yet, but she did privately agree with him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you at school. Are you new?” he asked less smarmily than before.

“No, I don’t go to your school,” Bulla deigned to answer him. “I live in West City.” Bulla saw his eyes widen.

“No way, that’s on the other side of the world. What are you doing over here?” he asked interestedly. 

“Pan is a family friend. I’m visiting.” _ Not technically a lie. _

“Why visit her when you could be visiting me?” Bulla only nodded, her attention was on Go-teen again who was now being led away by Page. Pan was still engrossed in conversation with the girl Bulla assumed to be Sasshi. She’d be no help. _ I guess it’s up to me then. _

“Excuse me,” Bulla said tersely pushing away Binder from her with more force than necessary but not enough to hurt him. _ Who knows what Goten would do with that girl? _Bulla quickly caught up to the two. 

“Hey sorry,” she addressed Page. “I need to borrow him for a sec,” she said apologetically. “Can you come with me Goten?” she asked her fellow hybrid.

“Yeah sure,” Goten said somewhat reluctantly. The other girl looked disappointed but was otherwise compliant and dropped Goten’s arm. 

“Don’t be gone too long,” the blonde told Goten smoothly and winked. _ Ew, Go-teen is definitely not worth the effort, girl. _

Bulla then grabbed Goten’s arm and dragged him outside to Cilla’s front lawn with her superior strength. She roughly let go of him once she saw they were alone.

“You can’t start a relationship with a high school girl now!” A disapproving Bulla passionately argued to a bewildered Goten.

“We’re not starting anything,” Goten objected. “It’s a party. We’re just having fun,” Goten huffed.

“Yeah, well, how do you think someone like Page will feel once you just up and disappear?” Bulla retorted angrily. “And how will you feel being thirty years old remembering you got down and dirty with an underage girl. Pretty sleazy, I bet,” she sneered.

“I still almost have a year!” Goten defended himself, “Besides, nothing is going on between me and her.” _ Oh how naive you are, Go-teen. _Typical teenage boy, he just didn’t get it.

Bulla noticed that some of Goten’s fanclub from inside had come outside to look for Goten. “C’mon, let’s get out of here, I don’t want an audience,” Bulla quietly commanded to Goten. Once again, Bulla gripped his arm tight like a vice so he couldn’t shake her off without powering up and giving himself away. She led them down the street where it was dark and finally let go of Goten.

“You know, you could have just asked and I would have followed you,” Goten said rubbing his arm.

“Sorry,” Bulla said sincerely. She had just been so angry that she forgot that at his core, Goten was very considerate and polite like ChiChi had raised him to be. There had been no need to handle him so roughly. “I just—I just really needed to leave that party,” she stammered out, and let the cool night calm her down. Was it just her, or had it been getting hot in that house?

“Why? What happened?” Goten asked, eyes filled with concern, seemingly able to forget about their frenzied interaction only moments before. _ Ugh _, he made it so hard to stay mad at him. He dropped any annoyance he might have felt towards her in favor of making sure she was okay. Her heart swelled in her chest. Why did he have to be so damn thoughtful? However, it did make her calm down completely.

“Nothing, don’t worry,” Bulla gave a weary smile. “I just don’t want to be here is all.”

“I remember you said parties weren’t your thing,” he said with caring in his voice, “Do you want to go somewhere else?” he asked curiously. Bulla felt there was an unsaid part to his question. Or was he just trying to encourage her to leave so he could mingle with the single ladies of Orange Star High?

“Are you offering to join me?” Bulla was pressing her luck. What if he said yes? She hadn’t exactly been acting consistently sane tonight when Go-teen was around. 

“Definitely,” _ Well now is the chance to get Goten out of Pan’s hair for the rest of the night. You owe me one, Pan. That girl better be worth it. _

“I don’t have any ideas,” Bulla admitted after spending a few quiet seconds thinking.

Goten perked up at her admission. “I know a place,” Goten said somewhat excitedly. He gently grabbed her hand and took off to the sky with her following behind. Bulla surprised herself by not immediately withdrawing her hand from his. She would never say it out loud but it felt nice. She reluctantly let go of his hand in favor of just flying beside him. At first they were merely gliding through the mild night sky, Bulla couldn’t help but notice how many stars there were in the sky. Living in West City put her at a disadvantage when it came to star gazing. 

Goten spoke, pulling Bulla’s attention from the stars, “We’re going to have to speed up or else we won’t get there for hours.” Bulla would have proposed a race if she knew where they were going but instead she followed Goten quietly.

After a few minutes of going top speed, Goten began his descent to a small deserted island. Bulla was surprised, she thought he might have taken her to an all night diner in East City but instead they were surrounded by nature, no human energies around for miles aside from the two human-Saiyan hybrid teens. 

Goten had them land on the soft sandy beach. _ It’s a warm night in this part of the world _, Bulla noted. She wouldn’t regret not bringing a jacket. Bulla looked around the island, noticing the dense vegetation and trees inland, and the pristine white beach that looked like no one had ever set foot on it. She noticed something else when she looked toward the beach. The waves seemed to be...glowing?

“Oh, that’s so cool!” Bulla exclaimed to Goten as she saw the electric blue waves crashing close to the shore they were on. “Is that why you brought me here?” Bulla asked mesmerized by the luminous beach.

“I figured a city girl like you doesn’t take the time to go out in nature much,” Goten told her proudly. It was true. For whatever reason, Bulla stuck to cities aside from the trips to Mount Paozu, but this was completely different to anything in Mount Paozu. Bulla took in her surroundings in awe, it seemed like nature was shining all around her, from the billions of twinkling stars above their heads to the radiant waves in front of her.

Bulla looked to Goten who was staring at her with a dreamy look on his face. Clearly, the environment was having the same effect on him as it was on her. “It’s so beautiful!” she told Goten gleefully. Bulla quickly took off her shoes to sit down and dig her feet in the sand, content just to watch the breathtaking sight.

Goten plunked down next to her and spoke. “I’ve actually wanted to come here for a while ever since reading about it, but couldn’t find anyone to join me.”

“Why not? I’m sure those girls at the party would love to be here with you,” Bulla said without malice. _ This place has a real calming effect, _she thought.

“Nah, this place is only accessible to humans by watercraft and it would take too long to get here anyway, we’re so far from the continent,” he explained casually.

“Pan? Trunks?” she offered disinterestedly as she picked up handfuls of sand that she let slip through her hands. _ The sand is so fine and soft! _

“Pan is still avoiding me and Trunks is too busy trying to get his career off the ground as well as that mystery at Capsule Corp,” Goten said not sounding bitter at all, “I’m glad it’s you,” he added. Bulla couldn’t help but feel somewhat touched by that declaration. Five year old Bulla would have been delighted hearing those words. 

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. “I wonder what’s making everything glow,” Bulla said absentmindedly pointing at the glowing blue points in the ocean, not expecting either of them to have an answer.

“It’s glowing because there’s a species of phytoplankton that live here. They light up when stressed. It’s a defense mechanism in order to surprise predators,” Goten began to explain. “See where we are?” he pointed to the shore, Bulla nodded. “We’re actually in a warm water lagoon. The narrow opening to the ocean helps to trap the plankton here. That’s why there’s so many.

“The chemical that produces the light is called luciferin. This type of plankton can produce it naturally, and the incredible thing is that this type of light hardly produces any heat! Nature is really amazing,” he finished wistfully. Bulla just stared at him, she was stunned. She had spent the past three months seeing Goten quite frequently and he had never spoken to her with such enthusiasm about something that wasn’t related to food, fighting, or Trunks. 

“Oh my god!” Bulla realized turning to a startled Goten, shocking him out of the tranquility the little island provided. “That’s your passion! Nature!” she said thrilled like she had solved a mystery. “You can go back to school and get a degree in ecology. Spend your time outside instead of in a bank. I can see it already,” Bulla said exhilarated. Then something occurred to Bulla. “Maybe I was going about this whole ‘Go-teen’ thing the wrong way. Maybe I should have been helping you figure out what you wanted to do with your life. It probably would have been less depressing than that trip to your apartment.”

Goten frowned at first but then smiled at her affectionately, “You may be onto something,” he said kindly.

“Wait a minute,” Bulla said. It was like a record scratch had interrupted her thoughts. “Why were you constantly asking for my help with your biology homework? You seem to have a good grasp of this stuff and can even recall it at the top of your head.” Bulla’s heart began to race, her throat went dry, “You don’t need me at all,” she realized sadly turning her head down. Goten wasn’t dumb after all, he might have just been humoring her. Now that the jig was up, it made her glum to think they’d no longer have their homework meetings ChiChi had insisted on.

Goten gently took her chin in his hand and made her face him, he stared right into her eyes and Bulla didn’t feel compelled to look away from his dark orbs. “It’s not like that all. I really like spending time with you,” he said deeply, his black eyes boring into her blue ones. Slowly, he brought his thumb up to brush against her bottom lip. Bulla was sure now that her heart could be heard beating across the cosmos. She was still blanketed by the warmth of the weather around her but she shivered nonetheless. Having closed her eyes, she felt rather than saw Goten’s head moving closer to her own and she felt his warm breath as he exhaled. Bulla could not describe what was she was feeling between them but it was thrilling, she did have a word for it however, _ electricity. _

Her eyes flew open. “No!” she screamed out suddenly and pulled back before his lips could touch hers. She delivered a stinging slap to Goten’s face that knocked his head to the side. She hastily scrambled backwards on her hands and feet breathing heavily, all she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears. 

Bulla dared to look at Goten and didn’t need to be an expert on body language to see the heartbreak and devastation in his features, but she paid no mind to that. _ I need to get out of here. _She panicked and took to the sky, flying home as fast as she could, not sparing a glance to the shell-shocked boy she left behind. She even turned Super Saiyan to get home as soon as possible.

Bulla’s heart was still pounding as she paced in her room, her sanctuary where she could process what had just happened. Goten going in for the kiss thrilled her more than anything she had done with Garter. Their lips hadn’t even connected but she still felt the excitement and pull between her and Goten’s energies. _ No, no, no! This is so wrong! He’s not really a teenager! He’s Pan’s uncle! He’s Trunks’ best friend! He probably helped change my diapers! He’s sick! YOU’RE DISGUSTING, BULLA! YOU LIKED IT! _

Her father burst through the door, most likely having sensed her power up and panicked energy, “What happened?! What’s wrong?!” he yelled out worriedly. 

“Go away, daddy!” she screamed chucking the heaviest object she had near her—which unfortunately for Vegeta, happened to be a block of katchin Whis had given her—and hit him square in the nose. Vegeta immediately grunted in pain and clutched his face. Bulla could see blood seeping from beneath his hands. Bulla normally would have felt guilty but she only felt frustration and annoyance; he still hadn’t listened to her. “I said go away!” she screamed again, primed to throw something else. Vegeta did not need another warning and he retreated quickly.

“She broke my fucking nose!” she heard him yell from outside her bedroom door.

“HA! Two for two! Told you it was none of your business!” Bulla could hear her mother gloat and chuckle from outside her door.

“Shut up, Bulma! I’m going to The Lookout!” an irate Vegeta proclaimed.


	6. Are You Okay?

_ Vegeta normally looked upon his daughter with pride, not even six years old yet and she had already been a Super Saiyan for years. Not even Kakarot's granddaughter had reached that milestone. Yes, Vegeta was still bitter over Pan stealing the show after Bulla’s birth but his daughter would be stronger, swifter, and smarter than any of Kakarot’s descendents. Vegeta did not often lament the destruction of planet Vegeta these days—his change of heart made him realize the galaxy was better off without the Saiyan race—but looking at his little daughter bursting with power, he regretted not being able to claim the throne of Vegeta and declare her a princess. _

_ Today, he was trying to teach her katas but all she wanted to do was fly in the air and blast things. Vegeta rubbed his forehead in annoyance since her favorite target at the moment was him. _

_ “Cease this nonsense immediately!” he growled out as fiercely as possible. Bulla only giggled and threw an energy blast at his face that he couldn’t dodge. It only stung a little bit.  _

_ He often despaired of not being able to intimidate his little girl. Her brother would be quivering and ready to do what he said but his heart couldn’t help but swell with pride, she was fearless. Nevertheless, after the shot to his face, Bulla settled down and got into a fighting stance.  _

_ “No, no, no that’s all wrong!” he yelled out in exasperation. “You’ll be giving your opponent too many openings that way.” _

_ “Silly daddy,” he bristled at the comment, he would never let anyone get away with calling him “silly.”  _ She’s way too cute for her own damn good _ , he thought. “I won’t need to fight. I’m gonna marry a strong man and he’ll protect me.” The girl was practically swooning. _

_ “What did you just say?” he said threateningly. What she said set him off. He was infuriated, “Who’s been teaching you that garbage?! Where’s your Saiyan pride, girl?!”  _

_ Not cowed at all by his fury, the five year old good naturedly explained to her father, “Mommy said she married the strongest man in the universe and that he could protect her from anything,” she said in awe. Vegeta couldn’t help but puff up with pride at that story.  _

_ “Who is he, daddy? Is it Uncle Whis?” and just like that he deflated completely. His little onion baby didn’t even know she just struck a fatal blow. Only five and already obliterating her opponent. _

_ In keeping with his ruthless and unshakable persona, Vegeta only stiffly said, “I’m married to your mother.” _

_ “Really?!” Bulla exclaimed. “But mommy and Uncle Whis are always together! Are you sure? And how can you be the strongest in the universe?” she asked skeptically, eyeing her father with distrust.  _

_ Now Vegeta was starting to bluster, “That’s not what being married is all about!” he growled out. _

_ Bulla decided to argue back, “Yes it is! My husband is going to be super strong and he’ll protect me and want to be with me all the time!” she said fiercely.  _

_ Vegeta had forgotten about the child’s nonsensical notions with that massive hit to his ego. “Saiyans never look to others for protection!” he barked. “The fight is all our own.” _

_ Vegeta sighed,  _ Notions of femininity on Earth are going to make my girl soft. I must figure out a way to end this.  _ Vegeta didn’t want to but he needed to relate to the child on her level. _

_ “Do you remember when Pan beat up Goten?” he asked somewhat softly. _

_ “Yeah!” his little girl said pumped, throwing her fist in the air. _

_ “Wasn’t that...cool?” Vegeta choked out, he never liked using Earth slang. Bulla nodded. “If you learn to fight properly, you’ll be able to beat people up that are even bigger and more powerful than Goten.” _

_ “Really?!” Vegeta could tell she was intrigued by the idea. _

_ “Yes,” and Vegeta struggled with what he was going to say next, “And you might even beat me up one day.” _

_ Bulla stared at him in disbelief and wonder and broke out into a radiant smile, “Yeah! I’m going to kick your ass, daddy!” she said jumping and staying in the air, “And you’ll cry like a little bitch!” she taunted from above.  _

_ Vegeta quickly shook himself from the shock of hearing his five year old’s explicit trash talk,  _ Goten and Trunks probably had something to do with it, I’ll get them back later,  _ “You have the most potential out of anyone else in the universe, more than anyone in Kakarot’s family or ours. Your birth was hailed by the strongest warriors in the universe and unprecedented, attended by both the Lord of Lords and God of Destruction, two of the most important deities in all the universes.” God, he wished his little girl could have been heralded like the Saiyan princess she was in everything but name. “You will live up to your potential and train to become the greatest warrior all twelve universes have ever seen!” he finished passionately.  _

_ “Okay daddy,” Bulla said happily but rather unmoved. Vegeta nearly sighed but continued on in his persuasive tone. _

_ “Whomever you choose doesn’t need to protect you. You can protect yourself and in failing that I’m the one that will protect you, understand? Now are you ready to be trained in the way of the Saiyan?!” he nearly shouted. _

_ “Sure,” she said like he was asking her if she was going to brush her teeth. He slapped his hand to his forehead. _

_ “But what’s marriage about, daddy?” Oh, he had forgotten about that part of the conversation. _

* * *

The morning after the last time she saw Goten, Bulla received two messages. “ _ I’m sorry.” _ and  _ “I’ll leave you alone.” _ Bulla very nearly cried. 

How far back had his crush gone? Was it love at first sight? Had it started when they spent their first day together? After? Bulla thought back to all the times she had spent with Goten these past few months. She had been so oblivious, she realized. Goten had always been the one to call her up for homework help, it was never ChiChi, who he said insisted on their study sessions, and he was the one who would show up at her house unexpectedly. He had been seeking out her company whenever he could. 

Bulla thought of specific moments. That night at the ice cream parlor, he wasn’t being overprotective, he had been  _ jealous  _ when she had initiated conversation with Tux. Then, it finally dawned on her, he hadn’t been having stomach problems in the gravity room, he was having  _ boy problems!  _ And that was the problem, wasn’t it? She had refused to see him as another teenager like herself and hadn’t put any distance between them, thinking of Goten as the adult he had been before. Now it was too late, she realized, she liked him too and didn’t know what to do about it.

The past month starkly reminded Bulla of the monotony of life without Go-teen with a dash of desolation. She was back to square one of just living life and going through the motions, not even her Friday gallon of ice cream could cheer her up, not that she was able to finish it these days. She even missed when they would do homework together. How could she miss doing homework? 

Bulla couldn’t even be happy for Pan who started going steady with Sasshi. Pan invited Bulla to hang out with her and Sasshi once and Bulla immediately felt like a third wheel.  _ I guess Saiyan Saturdays are no more.  _ It basically rubbed it in her face that she didn’t have anyone and that just brought Goten to the forefront of her thoughts again. She couldn’t wipe his stricken face from her memories. 

It was Sunday morning and she didn’t bother getting out of bed. What was the point? She wasn’t going anywhere. Her phone began to ring.  _ Who could it be? Only old people call each other directly.  _ She didn’t even bother to look at the caller id.

“Hey,” she answered depressingly.

“Hey, how ya been?” her best friend replied brightly. Pan was so caught up in her own happiness she didn’t seem to notice Bulla’s misery for the month.

“Fine,” Bulla responded curtly.

“You sure about that? Because you haven’t wanted to hang out at all since Cilla’s party.”  _ Maybe Pan did notice things after all. _

“Yes,” she said clipped.

“Okay, well, your tone tells a different story. Anyway, if it’s any consolation all the girls at Orange Star High still hate you for leaving the party with Goten.” Bulla felt the corner of her mouth rise. “And they don’t appreciate Goten defending you either,” that made her frown again.  _ Why did Goten have to be such a damn good person?  _ She broke his heart; she’d feel better if he hated her. 

“Why did you call me, Pan?” Bulla asked, cutting to the chase.

“I keep forgetting to tell you, I have your shoes!” 

Bulla was confused, “What are you talking about? You don’t have any of my shoes.”

“Uh, yes I do,” Pan insisted, “Goten said you left them at the beach and he left them with me so I could give them back.” Bulla hadn’t even realized in her haste to get away from him that she had left them behind.  _ Yet another glowing example of Goten’s propensity for kindness.  _ She felt like she’d just been swaddled with a warm blanket, thoughts of Goten tended to do that.

“Then why are you calling me and telling me about it when you could have dropped them off at any time?” Bulla remembered those shoes, she did want them back!

“I don’t want to go all the way over there just to drop off some shoes, and you told me never to let my grandpa instant transmit your stuff to you, and you still haven’t told me why.”

“And I’ll never tell you!” she practically screamed into the phone.

“Whatever, I’m just letting you know I’m leaving them at my grandma’s house since she’s always home so you can pick them up at your leisure. You should come visit her, she says she hasn’t seen you in awhile.” Bulla felt guilty, she had been avoiding Go-teen and therefore ChiChi as well, a lady that had never been anything but kind to her, all she had ever asked for in return was her company. 

After she hung up, Bulla let her thoughts drift, there was nothing to occupy her time, no novel, no binge watching tv shows, no plans with friends. She just had to wait it out until Monday when the new school week started.  _ Who the hell looked forward to Mondays? _ Maybe she could go over to Ms. ChiChi’s place when Goten was at school, and she could get her shoes back. With nothing but her thoughts to entertain her, she stretched her mind out feeling for his energy. Was he feeling out for hers too?

Suddenly, Bulla was hit in the forehead by a projectile, “Ow,” she sat up whining, trying to sound as pathetic as possible. It didn’t hurt physically but her soul ached. She looked to see who had thrown what looked to be a capsule. It was her brother, clad in his trademark green gi, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She inspected the capsule he had thrown at her, wondering if there was something inside or if Trunks was just being mean.

“Get up loser, we’re going training,” he said.

* * *

The capsule contained a replica of her father’s battle armor except whereas her father’s was blue, hers was red. Trunks had dragged her out to the middle of nowhere northeast of West City where there was nothing but flat desert land and rock formations.

“Why did you give me this? I look stupid,” Bulla complained inspecting her body. Bulla knew she had a rocking bod; however, even she had limits to what she was willing to show off, but damn was it comfortable. It always weirded her out how her dad liked to wear skin tight training gear. She asked him about it once and immediately regretted it after hearing the answer.

“It’s not about what you look like, but the freedom of movement it gives you.”

“I know that, jerk! But why couldn’t you have given me a gi, or let me wear my own training clothes?”

“Because I wanted you to have protection when I did this,” and before Bulla registered what was happening Trunks hit her with an energy blast right to the chest. If she hadn’t had the armor on his blast would have burned her top off. 

“Oh it’s on!” Bulla exclaimed excitedly. Trunks would never train with her, let alone spar with her. She wondered,  _ What spurred this? _ He didn’t give her a chance to ask any questions, however. Unlike fighting Go-teen, Trunks never hesitated in attacking Bulla, and she found herself on the defense more often than not, but she was able to get a few good hits in herself. She was smaller and faster than Trunks and that gave her an advantage in dodging his brutal attacks. This fight was no holds barred, energy blasts flew freely and so did the two half-Saiyan siblings. That’s probably why Trunks took them to an uninhabited place, they didn’t have to worry about bystanders or buildings, Bulla deduced.

Bulla took advantage of Trunks going for a punch to her gut and swiftly turned to her side and delivered a knee to his chin; she took the opportunity to put some distance between Trunks and herself. He quickly recovered and went after Bulla. She could sense him trying to get a hit in from behind her, Bulla took advantage and grabbed onto his arm throwing him as hard and fast as she could towards Earth. Trunks fell to the ground hard and made a crater in the Earth. He laid there immobile; however, Bulla could tell by his energy that he was fine. 

Hesitantly, Bulla flew down to the crater and crouched at the edge looking down at her older brother who laid sprawled at the bottom. She wasn’t sure if this was a ruse or if he was actually ready to give up. “I quit. You win,” he managed to get out. 

“Wooohooo!” Bulla celebrated throwing her arms up in victory. Her celebration was cut short, however. Bulla fell on her back exhausted but laughing, Bulla couldn’t remember having a good time with Trunks ever.

Trunks crawled out of his shame crater and pulled a capsule from his gi. It was remarkable that it had not fallen out during their spar. Trunks threw the capsule and a mini fridge popped out with a small explosion. Trunks quickly opened it and threw Bulla a bottle of water and took one for himself, sitting himself down next to her. Both the half-Saiyan siblings gulped down their respective waters in silence.

“Now do you feel better?” Trunks turned to her. Truth is she did, but when did Trunks even notice when she was feeling down?

“How did you know I was sad?” Bulla asked, avoiding answering the question.

“You flew off the handle again and broke dad’s nose which, while hilarious, probably speaks to a bigger issue,” Trunks said sagely.

“Pfft, how did you even notice? Besides that was a month ago, what took you so long?”

“I was just giving you your space thinking you’d snap out of it. So I’m right about there being a bigger issue then?”  _ Damn him. _

“Yeah,” Bulla admitted reluctantly, “How long have you known?”

“Months,” he answered bluntly. “Give me some credit, Bulla,” he said almost pained, “I know you don’t think much of me, and that’s probably my fault. I’m sorry.” Bulla didn’t quite know what to say to that. 

“Sorry for what?” she inquired. Was he finally going to admit he was wrong to eat her ice cream?

“Being so distant when you were little,” he admitted. “It’s ironic, mom even warned me, but like all teenagers, I thought she was full of it,” he sighed.

“What are you talking about?” Bulla had no idea what her brother would be apologetic about, he seemed so shameless.

“I know you’ll deny it but when you were a little girl, you thought the world of me,” Trunks told her smugly, then frowned, “but I thought you were annoying, and did the most to avoid you. Now I find it’s the opposite,” Trunks said regretfully. “Now you have your own friends and boyfriends, and won’t spare time or even a thought for your big brother.”  _ Boyfriend?! Oh god, does he know what happened with Goten?! _

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said hastily. Trunks had opened another bottle of water and took a big gulp before speaking.

“Really?” he asked seemingly not that interested, “That day we went to Goten’s apartment, he said you had something going on with a kid who worked at your favorite ice cream parlor,” he paused and looked contemplative for a second, “Seemed to think I should be upset about it, but you’re entitled to your fun just like anybody else,” Trunks shrugged. 

They were silent, Bulla figured they didn’t have much to say to one another. “It’s okay, if you have a boyfriend. Dad and I are way too afraid to get on your bad side after the broken noses,” he joked. “Plus, we know no human is capable of hurting you. You’re way too strong in every respect.” This time Trunks actually sounded sincere. Bulla let the intensity of his words wash over her. Did Trunks really like her? Think that highly of her?

“How come you didn’t like me then?” Bulla asked quietly, she had been wondering about it for years. “Grandpa said when you first saw me you were unimpressed and said I looked like a monkey.”

“First of all, you were born the wrong sex,” Bulla couldn’t help but punch him for that comment. “Ow, the fight’s over Bulla,” he said rubbing his arm. “I thought because you were a girl, I couldn’t train with you.” Bulla looked at him dumbfounded. “Clearly that was idiotic of me,” he admitted.

“Secondly, I never didn’t like you.” he paused for a moment, looking like he was carefully choosing his next words. “Bulla, you’ve always been my favorite person.” he said reaching out to grasp her shoulder. That surprised her, she couldn’t really say the same of Trunks. 

“Why all of this now?” Bulla felt herself fill with worry, “Trunks are you dying?!” Why else would he start getting all mushy? From all the tv and movies she watched, the dying person always made amends to those they thought they hurt.

“Calm down drama queen,” Trunks said slightly exasperated, “This isn’t a death bed confession,” he said taking another sip of his water, “Ever since Goten’s accidental wish, I’ve had a lot of time to myself to think, well at first I really got into soap operas, but then I started to think about our relationship. I regret a lot of things.” 

“Like what?” Bulla couldn’t help the curiosity that was evident in her voice.

“Mainly, how I didn’t take advantage of when you wanted to hang out with me. Pushed you away. Never trained with you,” he smiled cheekily, “I could have learned a thing or two.”

Bulla didn’t know what to say, but since it was confession time, Bulla decided to ask some questions of her own.

“Why are you working in the mail room? Considering it’s our family’s company you could have just asked for a respectable title and salary without having to do any work. Or you could have done literally anything else, the King of Earth calls  _ our mom  _ for  _ favors.  _ That’s how well connected we are.”

Trunks was silent for a second and then took a deep breath, “Truth is, I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I guess I want to see what I can do on my own merits, though the entry position at Capsule Corp was using my connections. Do you know how many people want to work there?” Bulla shook her head. “Anyway, even an entry position is highly coveted. I need to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me.”

“Since when do you care about proving yourself?”

“Part of growing up and maturing, onion baby,” he said reaching over to ruffle her hair. She moved apart from him and pushed his hand away, her hair was already messed up enough from the fight.

“Speaking of growing up, have you heard from Goten?” Bulla couldn’t help but ask Trunks. Since she hadn’t been occupying Go-teen’s time she wondered if Trunks was keeping him company.

Trunks stared at her oddly, “I should be asking you. The way you two pal around I’m getting a little jealous,” he joked.  _ So he has no idea about our falling out then.  _ “But no, Go-teen seems to prefer to hang out with his Satan City friends these days,” he said nonchalantly.

“Shut up! You call him that too!?” Bulla asked in astonishment.

“Heh, yeah, but I first heard it from Goten when he was talking about you,” he admitted, “He’s so different from the Goten I used to know.”

“How so? I wouldn’t know,” Bulla said. “It’s not like I was already familiar with Son Goten before this whole ‘Go-teen’ mess,” she explained.

“He wouldn’t even take me up on my offer to take him out on the town. Claimed his mom wouldn’t let him but it never stopped him before. He won’t even blow off his homework.

“He doesn’t even seem that interested in girls either. He was worse than I am. Even with my money and striking looks, he got more girls than I did,” Trunks joked. “But from what I remember sixteen year old Goten wasn’t smooth at all, didn’t stop him from being girl-crazy though.”

“I think you’re overestimating your appeal, big brother.” Bulla rolled her eyes. That was her job as a little sister, to keep his ego in check.

“Did you two have a falling out or something?” Trunks inquired, ignoring Bulla’s hit to his ego, “What did he do, eat the last piece of bread from the complimentary basket?” he laughed at his own joke.

_ No, for once a friendship didn’t end over food.  _ Bulla thought, but didn’t voice it to Trunks, she merely thought of how she had left him stranded. How long did he stay at that beach wondering why she had hurt him?

“This whole Go-teen thing must be a dream come true for you though,” he teased when he saw Bulla wasn’t going to be forthcoming, drawing her back to the present. 

Bulla turned bright red but not for the reason Trunks probably thought. She was thinking back to when Goten had tried to kiss her, and dammit she had wanted it but her common sense prevailed.

“Oh come on, you can’t still be embarrassed about that,” he rolled his eyes. “Lucky for you, he doesn’t even remember that incident.”  _ If he only knew what was going on right now. _ “I have a worse one, did you know I had a crush on a girl that turned out to be older than mom?”

“No way! Seriously?” Now this was juicy. Who knew Trunks was cougar hunter? She wanted to hear this, plus it would take the heat off her and what she may or may not being doing with Go-teen.

“Yes, I did,” Trunks said almost proudly, “Do you remember those guys that used to live with us? They were a gang of three, maybe you don’t remember them, they took off when I was about sixteen, broke my heart.” he paused to think, “Well, I didn’t miss Pilaf and Shu so much but Mai was my first love.” Bulla did remember those guys that hung around the compound, but only vaguely, some weird blue goblin creature, a dog person, and a sweet older girl who liked to give her hugs.

“What happened?” Bulla asked, eager to know.

“Well, it turns out they were bent on world domination, had been for around fifty years actually, and that included many attempts to make a wish on the dragon balls,” Trunks began. “They succeeded once, much like the Goten situation, it went awry.” He explained that they actually wanted to wish themselves younger but didn’t specify how young and got turned into babies but unlike Goten, they had retained all their memories. Trunks continued on about how they met, how his crush had formed, and the memories he had of her.

Trunks was pouring his heart out, and it all seemed very sad but all Bulla could focus on was, “That is so disgusting! An old lady was creeping on you since you were twelve?! And you actually  _ liked  _ her back?!” Trunks laughed at her outburst.

“More like she eventually liked me back. I was the one who fell first,” Trunks smiled sadly, “It wasn’t like that though, she didn’t tell me the truth until she took off and it never went far. I never did know the extent of their maturity but yeah she did know how old she really was and had memories of the life she lived before. She still acted like a kid, I think she was still one at heart,” he shrugged.

“That is a messed up and depressing story.” Bulla couldn’t help but give her opinion.

“Yeah, I used to feel that way too but I realized we had some good memories that make up for the sad ending.” Silence fell on the pair once again. So just like her, her brother had fallen for someone de-aged by the dragon balls, but Trunks words replayed in ears,  _ “good memories...sad ending.” _

“Well, I know you have places to be onion baby, and I don’t know about you but I am starving.” Trunks drew Bulla from her thoughts. “Do you think our respective partners in crime will get upset if we get kicked out of a restaurant without them?”

“We could start our own tally,” Bulla tentatively replied.

Trunks broke out into a wide smile, “I’d like that.”

* * *

“Don’t be a stranger, Bulla!” her brother waved to her before they split off into different directions, him to Capsule Corp and her to Mount Paozu. 

They had both been so ravenous that they just told the restaurant owners the truth of who they were and they were able to buy the restaurant for the afternoon. Bulla was surprised the restaurant was willing to hear them out, considering their appearances. Bulla was wearing something skin tight, torn in several places, and completely out of this world. Trunks wasn’t even wearing a top; it had been destroyed in their battle.

Despite that, they were let into the all-you-can eat restaurant. Trunks and Bulla didn’t even bother with plates and just took the serving trays to their table. They may not have gotten kicked out this time but Trunks assured her there would be other opportunities, and Bulla found herself smiling at the possibility of quality time with her older brother.

Now, it was time for Bulla to get her shoes. She had made sure that Goten wasn’t home when she decided to make her way to Mount Paozu.

Like always, she knocked when she made it to the front door of Ms. ChiChi’s house. Bulla could feel ChiChi’s energy perking up as it came to the door. Bulla knew she was the only one who bothered to knock when coming to Mount Paozu unexpectedly and ChiChi could probably already tell who was at her door.

Sure enough, once the door was opened, the smaller older woman said cheerily, “Welcome back, Bulla!” 

Bulla took one look at ChiChi’s beatific expression and immediately felt like the worst person in the world. Just because she was avoiding Go-teen, it didn’t mean she had to had to withdraw from ChiChi. 

“Oh honey, what’s wrong?” ChiChi asked, her face filling with concern. Bulla cursed herself for not being able to keep her emotions off her face. Bulla didn’t have to say anything as ChiChi moved towards her and enveloped her in an all encompassing hug, rubbing her back.

“I’m sorry,” Bulla managed to get out. ChiChi stopped her comforting actions and held Bulla at arm’s length, looking at her in surprise.

“For what, honey?”  _ Oh that’s right, ChiChi never thinks I have anything to apologize for. _

“Not coming by for a month,” Bulla said apologetically.

“Oh is that all? Don’t worry about it. Come, sit.” ChiChi led Bulla to the family sofa, and the two sat down, but Bulla’s mind was drawing a blank on what to say. She didn’t want to be honest and tell ChiChi the truth of what was going on with her son because she knew ChiChi was immediately distrustful of any girls who spent time around her boys. The woman was very traditional, first came marriage  _ then  _ dating.

“I can’t say I didn’t miss you, but I understand you young people have to get out and enjoy the world on your own,” she said kindly. 

“It’s just nice to be back Ms. ChiChi,” Bulla told the older woman. “Do you have any cookies?” she couldn’t resist asking.

ChiChi laughed, “You know I’m always prepared if you come by.” Together they went to the Son family table where ChiChi laid out a tray of cookies for Bulla. They caught up a bit on what was happening in each other’s lives. ChiChi was gushing about how much better Goten was in his second go at high school, coming to the conclusion that Trunks had been a bad influence. Bulla couldn’t help but laugh at that, even though more or less she and Trunks had just made up. 

Bulla didn’t have much to say, ChiChi had known all about Pan and Sasshi so she hadn’t been surprised to hear Bulla wasn’t getting out much. Weirdly enough, ChiChi didn’t push Goten on her as a substitute like she usually did; she just tried to encourage Bulla to try new things and make new friends in the interim.

Together, the two began to fall back into an easy rapport. Bulla offered to help ChiChi prepare a dinner that she wasn’t even going to get to taste, nevertheless, ChiChi set Bulla to chop some vegetables. While they were working on their respective tasks, ChiChi let out a sigh, “You’re a little bit of a troublemaker, but you’re a good girl, Bulla.”

“Uh, thanks?” Bulla didn’t know what to say to that, but it looked to Bulla like ChiChi had been holding something in and was ready to let it out.

“I always thought it was such a shame that there were so many years between you and Goten.” Bulla stiffened and stopped chopping the carrots she had been tasked with, “I’ll admit I sort of let my mind run wild with the possibility of you two when he was aged down,”  _ That’s it! It all makes sense now! _ “But I’m not a naive eighteen year old anymore and I know I can’t force two people together if they don’t love each other,” Chi Chi confessed, sighing sadly. Bulla couldn’t help but feel ChiChi was leaving something unsaid but left it alone. 

“So you were trying to set us up the whole time?” Bulla asked, wondering if she had deduced things right.

“More like I was trying to give you a nudge,” ChiChi winked, “I actually think you’re well suited to one another.”

Bulla blushed a little. “Well a big wrench would have been thrown into your plans once the year is up, and he’d be an adult already if you had let Goku transport Goten to Namek. Your thirty year old son can’t exactly go around dating teenagers,” Bulla pointed out with an assuredness she didn’t feel.

“I don’t see why he even has to wish himself back at all. He’s been doing so much better the second time around,” ChiChi complained. Now that was the first Bulla had heard someone suggest Goten  _ not  _ wish himself back into an adult.

“You don’t want him to go back to a self-sufficient adult?” Bulla couldn’t believe it, perhaps she wasn’t done digging into Goten’s past or rather Go-teen’s future.

“What’s there to go back to?” ChiChi huffed annoyed. She roughly put the vegetables Bulla had chopped into a steaming pot, “He hated his job, never brought home a girl that I liked, and barely visited me, said he had to work all the time just to afford that apartment in West City.” ChiChi’s tone grew more shrill with each word. “My little boy was so unhappy,” ChiChi said pityingly after a moment of silence.

Bulla and ChiChi continued to put together the rest of dinner in silence. Allowed to her own thoughts, Bulla wondered if Goten would like her cooking, if Goten said it was better than usual, would ChiChi say it was because Bulla helped? She felt pleased imagining Goten praising her cooking and she let herself have a small smile.  _ Ugh, what am I thinking? I sound like a lovesick idiot. _

Once Bulla felt Goten on the move, she asked ChiChi for her shoes and prepared to say her goodbyes.

“Even if you’ll  _ maybe  _ never officially be a part of our family, I still want you to know that despite your unladylike appetite and training habit, you are the daughter I have always wanted,” ChiChi said hugging her goodbye. Bulla’s eyes widened.  _ Crap. She  _ ** _knew _ ** _ about Bulla’s rejection. And she’s still holding out hope too, it sounds like.  _

On her flight home, Bulla asked herself some pertinent questions. What was it about Goten? What did they even have in common? They both liked Bulla, Trunks was a fixture in both their lives, though for Bulla it was involuntary, and they both liked to eat...A lightbulb went off in Bulla’s head.  _ That’s it! We’re both half-Saiyans. I bet we’re both secreting some sort of secret Saiyan hormone that makes us want each other! _

But who could she turn to? Her mom was the most likely candidate, she could run some tests with her wacky inventions and isolate the hormones making her have these feelings and then destroy them! 

Bulla sighed,  _ That wouldn’t work _ , she’d have to come clean to her mom about everything, and they couldn’t get away with working in secret, her father would be clued in and then he would probably kill Goten, and that would just be one big mess. If they wished him back with dragon balls would he come back to the adult he had been or the teenager he was currently? Bulla shook her head from those thoughts.

Perhaps, her dad could be good for something, though. He could probably give her the answers as long as she wasn’t too forthcoming about why she wanted those answers...

* * *

Bulla’s dad would train all day every day if he didn’t have the typical weaknesses all mortals had, need for sustenance, sleep, and—in Vegeta’s case—family. Bulla was set to exploit that last one to get her answers. It had been a week since she decided to seek out her dad’s knowledge on Saiyans but she had not had the opportunity to corner him.

Since it was Saturday and she didn’t have school, Bulla decided to soften him up by training with him. Her plan was twofold. Vegeta would never admit it but Bulla knew he loved spending time training his kids in the gravity chamber. Then she would put in a take out order in advance so it would arrive right around the time Vegeta and Bulla were due for a snack. Her dad would be in such a good mood, he wouldn’t expect any ulterior motives from Bulla.

Everything was going according to plan, they had a rigorous training session—Bulla had even managed to get a few good hits in—and now that her dad was on his thirteenth egg roll and third helping of fried rice, now was the time to ask her questions.

“Daddy, if there was another full-blooded female Saiyan in this universe, would you leave mom for her?” Bulla asked innocently.

Vegeta began to choke. 

Bulla pounded on his back to help him cough out whatever was stuck, “You shouldn’t eat so fast, daddy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” he scolded once his throat was dislodged. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Just wondering if you’re capable of love and loyalty, I suppose,” Bulla replied rather disinterestedly but inside she was brimming with curiosity.

Vegeta turned red and sputtered.

“Oh daddy, relax. I just want to know since I’m half-Saiyan, am I even capable of liking anyone?” she knew she was, “All the kids my age want girlfriends and boyfriends but I don’t.”  _ That’s right Bulla, ease him in,  _ “Is it because Saiyans don’t have those kind of feelings?”

Bulla’s dad stopped eating, that wasn’t a good sign. Time to pull out the big guns, “Maybe it’s just me,” she sighed, “After all, Pan is just as Saiyan as I am and even she—”

Bulla saw Vegeta sneer.  _ Hook, line, and sinker.  _ “That quarterling is not on your level!” Vegeta slammed his fist on the table, “She’s more human, of course she’d have that weakness,” he said disdainfully

“What weakness?” Bulla inquired.

“Foolish romantic attachments ” Vegeta muttered. He continued eating, that was good, “Saiyans are hardwired to seek out and be attracted to strength. It’s no wonder you cannot find someone worthy on this planet full of weaklings,” he said with a mouth full of food.

“So how did you guys even come together and have babies?” Bulla queried. 

“Many a Saiyan were conceived on the battlefield. That’s where one could show their prowess in battle and show themselves worthy of procreating,” Vegeta said as a matter-of-factly. Bulla didn’t want to eat anymore.

“You know Earth parents are a little more uncomfortable having this kind of talk with their kids,” Bulla said feeling slightly queasy.  _ Pull it together, Bulla! You wanted to know this stuff. _

“Hn, Saiyans have no such ‘hang-ups’ as you would call them,” Vegeta replied.

“So what’s Saiyan courtship?” Bulla had to ask.

“They just fucked,” Vegeta said bluntly and just continued eating as normal. 

“Do you have to put it so crudely?” Bulla cringed.

“They just made love,” Vegeta said sarcastically.

“Nope. That’s much worse, especially coming from you.” Bulla had totally lost her appetite by now. “So Saiyans were the ‘hit it and quit it’ types?”

“It was not unheard of, but rare for a Saiyan to become part of a monogamous pair,” Vegeta admitted. “But it was nothing like what you see here on Earth.” he rubbed his chin in contemplation. “They didn’t feel the need to see or talk to each other everyday.”

“You mean there’s no super secret Saiyan soulmate ritual when we find our perfect mate and we’re bonded together forever?” Bulla asked tentatively.

“I’m afraid not,” Vegeta said amused, digging back into his food. “Saiyans just did what  _ or who  _ they wanted as long as there was no one stronger to fight them on it, slaves to their baser instincts.”  _ That’s all I need to hear! Time to end this. _

“But what about you and mom? She can’t fight, and you two actually got married, marriage license, house, two kids, and everything,” she asked in faux-innocence, but her father couldn’t tell the difference.

Vegeta stopped eating and got up from the table, “This conversation is over! I need to get back to my training!”  _ Knew it.  _ Her dad had no problem speaking on the more carnal nature of intimacy but ask him about emotions and feelings, and he’d get embarrassed and flee. Bulla knew he’d never admit it aloud but she and everyone else knew why Vegeta stayed on Earth.

Bulla smiled watching her dad leave. She stayed behind in the kitchen picking at her food and contemplated what she had heard from her father. It likely hadn’t been her Saiyan side that had driven her desire for Goten. While he was probably one of the strongest guys on the planet, he had not impressed her with his fighting techniques. Bulla laughed remembering why he had excused himself, but then she felt her body begin to heat up. He had wanted her, even then, and now she found herself wanting him back. What was stopping her really? She was a Saiyan, her dad basically said Saiyans could do whatever they wanted if they were strong enough, and she had strength in spades.

Who cares if Goten was going back to twenty-nine after this? Not her. They’ll just have some fun and then go their separate ways. This was probably just their hormones going out of control, why not satisfy them? She wouldn’t get hurt. What had Trunks said about him and Mai? “ _ ...we had some good memories that make up for the sad ending... _ ” Trunks said it himself, she was too strong in every capacity. 

Her decision made, Bulla went to her room to try and put a look together. Bulla decided to bring out the big guns. Low cut dress? Check! Long hair down? Check! Gorgeous done up face? Bulla knew she didn’t have to check for that.

Bulla had to time this right before she made her move. Pan had let her know she’d be in Satan City and ChiChi’s energy was close to Gohan and Videl’s, not anywhere near their homes, meaning for right now Goten was home alone. She flew as fast as she could to Mount Paozu, within reason of course. Once she landed, she gave herself a moment to tame her windblown hair, and steeled herself for the approach to the front door.

Bulla knew Goten sensed her presence, she could feel him waiting at the other side of the door. Right as she raised her hand to knock, Goten opened the door. Bulla stared right into his sweet black eyes, biting her lip in nervousness. What could she possibly say?  _ Sorry I broke your heart but do you want to fool around? _ She realized she didn’t need to say anything.  _ I’ll let my actions do the talking. _ Wordlessly, she practically jumped on Goten, wrapping her arms around his neck, he quickly recovered and grabbed her at her waist, she wasted no time connecting her lips with those of a stunned Goten.  _ Definitely better than Garter.  _


	7. When I'm With You

_ “Well, what do we have here?” Trunks whistled lowly as he saw his mom come down the stairs with his six year old sister. Trunks had to stifle his laughter or no doubt Bulma would find some way to punish her twenty year old son. His little sister was clutching their mother’s hand trying to keep her footing as she clumsily navigated the steps, but that wasn’t the funny part, no, that was how she was done up. _

_ His angelic baby sister’s face was made up like a lady of the night, to put it politely. Her eyelids sported bright sparkly blue eyeshadow, her cheeks were covered in rouge, and lastly, bright red lipstick adorned her lips, to top it off it looked like she applied it all herself. She looked like a vampire clown whore or Chiaotzu, but at least it looked like Bulma had been in charge of Bulla’s hair which was done up in an elegant updo. _

_ “Trunks!” Bulla exclaimed rushing to him once she reached the bottom of the stairs. She twirled in front of him in her orange dress that clashed terribly with her hair. “Don’t I look beautiful?” she gushed waiting expectantly that Trunks would indeed confirm that she looked beautiful. Instead, Trunks had a coughing fit to cover up the fact that he wanted to burst out laughing so badly. She looked ridiculous, did he really have to play along with her? _

_ “Ow!” Trunks yelped. He had felt a sudden rush of pain in his arm, his mom had pinched him with her sharp nails, and glared at him. _ I guess I do have to play along. _ “Yup, you’re definitely the prettiest in this room!” he humored the little girl, and Bulla responded with a sweet smile. _

_ “Vegeta!” Bulma yelled out. “C’mon let’s go!” It only took moments for Vegeta to appear, he was brooding of course. _

_ “I don’t know why I have to go in the jet plane with you,” Vegeta sulked, “I can just meet you once you land in Central City. Traveling in one of your machines is a waste of time. I can get us there in minutes.” _

_ “I’m not having my neck broken by your reckless flying and high speeds!” Bulma retorted angrily, “Now, stop being a baby and get in the plane!” Bulma commanded. _

_ “Bye, daddy!” Bulla waved enthusiastically “You can leave now!” she went to push him out the door. _ That is something _ , Trunks thought. Vegeta was usually Bulla’s favorite person, after himself, of course. _

_ “Aren’t you going to miss dad, Bulla?” Trunks asked her curiously. _

_ “Nope!” she said still trying to push an increasingly irate Vegeta out the door. Before Trunks could ask her why, his mother turned to him to grab his attention. _

_ “This weekend you’re responsible for Bulla, Trunks,” Bulma said seriously, “You know your grandparents can’t keep up with her so it’s all on you this weekend. No taking her to ChiChi’s—“ _

_ “Aw, but she loves ChiChi—” Trunks complained. He had been planning to ditch her there or at Gohan’s. After all, it was the weekend and he was a red-blooded human-Saiyan hybrid, he needed to get out, plus he had two girls on standby. _

_ Bulma violently grabbed his ear and shouted into it, “I said NO!” She roughly let go and left Trunks rubbing his injured ear. “You WILL watch your sister this weekend. Don’t call ChiChi, don’t call Gohan, and especially don’t call Marron. She’s in high school now and deserves some weekends to herself, and don’t you dare try to tempt her with money either. I already paid her more than you ever could to ignore your pleas,” Bulma threatened. _

_ Trunks put his hands up in surrender, “Okay fine, I’ll watch the little pipsqueak this weekend.” _

_ “Thank you,” Bulma said nicely and pecked Trunks on the cheek, “Take advantage Trunks, she’s not going to stay little forever and want to hang out with you,” she warned. Bulma then went to Bulla and bent down to her daughter, “Bye sweetie!” she said in a much more saccharine tone to Bulla, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. _

_ “Bye, mommy!” Bulla said completely unbothered that her parents were leaving. She too began to push Bulma out the door but with much more success than she had with Vegeta. _

_ Soon Trunks was left alone with Bulla, a task he felt he was ill-prepared for. Bulla looked up at him expectantly. _ What do six year olds like? _ Trunks asked himself. Bulla wasn’t jumping off the walls, that was good, but she was just standing there in her awful makeup penetrating him with her big blue eyes, it was actually kind of creepy. _

_ “Why don’t you get me a drink?” Trunks suggested to Bulla with fake sweetness, if only to get her to stop looking at him. He plunked himself on the couch to see what was on tv. _ Ugh, soap operas. _ He quickly changed the channel and found an old action movie. _

_ “Okay!” the little girl eagerly complied. She quickly returned with a juice box. He would have preferred a beer but it would do. _

_ “Thanks, Bulla,” he told her and she positively beamed at him. Trunks patted a spot next to him on the couch and asked her to sit down, she eagerly complied and rested against him. Bulla was fairly quiet and as Trunks mindlessly watched the television but he could tell Bulla was getting antsy, the action flick wasn’t really doing anything for her. _

_ “This is boring Trunks!” Bulla finally erupted. “Let’s do something!” she commanded rather than asked. _

_ Trunks grabbed the remote and shut off the television, “Okay, what do you think we should do?” Trunks asked a bit testily. It was enough that his weekend plans were blown to smithereens, but now would he have to play with dolls or have a tea party? _

_ “Showdown?” Bulla suggested. _

_ “We can’t do that, you’re a little girl.” Trunks hastily made an excuse. He had heard his dad proudly telling his mom how ruthless Bulla had been in training. He didn’t really keep up with training these days and truthfully, he didn’t know if she would beat the crap out of him. _

_ “Oh,” Bulla looked to the ground disappointed. She kneaded her dress skirt in her hands, “What do you want to do Trunks?” she asked meekly. _

_ “What do I want to do?” Trunks began assertively, “ _ ** _I _ ** _ want to go out like any normal twenty-year-old and not be stuck at home with my little sister.” He loved his sister. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but she was his favorite person. Her happy-go-lucky six year old attitude could bring the grumpiest person out of their funk, but couldn’t she have been born ten years earlier so he wouldn’t have this obligation to watch her? It seemed like her birth coincided with his coming of age, where he wanted to spend as much of his time with his friends as possible. _

_ Bulla frowned and put her head down from where she was sitting and just sat silently twiddling her thumbs. _Oh crap, she’s not going to start crying, is she? Better do something!

_ But before Trunks could think of anything to say, Bulla looked up to him “When is Goten coming?” Bulla asked expectantly. _

_ “Why would Goten come over?” Trunks asked more to himself than Bulla. He realized his words were kind of harsh and he was relieved she had let them roll of her back. He took a sip of the juice box. _Hmmm, this is pretty good. What flavor is it? Ooh strawberry, my favorite.

_ “Goten’s your boyfriend. You always go play with him.” Trunks nearly choked on the straw. Bulla stood up and started pounding him on the back, rather painfully, in an effort to try to dislodge his throat. _

_ “Stop Bulla! I’m fine. I promise,” Trunks winced. He was probably going to have bruises tomorrow. Maybe he should take her up on her offer to train, maybe he could teach her to control her strength better. “Goten is not my boyfriend and we’re too old to play with each other.” Bulla blinked in confusion, “We do something….different...” Trunks struggled to find the appropriate words, hoping that vague explanation would do it for Bulla. _

_ “But he’s a boy and he’s your friend, so he’s my boyfriend too. He’ll want to come over to play,” she said confidently. Oh, what Trunks would have given to have Goten and his dad in the room when she said that. He chuckled thinking of the beating Bulla would have inadvertently earned Goten. _

_ “Why would he want to spend his Saturday here where there’s nothing to do when he could be out meeting women?” Trunks asked more to himself rather than acknowledge Bulla’s ridiculous declaration that she and Trunks were sharing a boyfriend. Besides, Trunks knew that Goten would probably choose himself over Bulla everytime. _

_“I’m a woman,” she said cocking her hip to the side._ _Trunks had to laugh. _Where does she get this stuff? _But still, maybe Bulla was onto something, maybe not that nonsense about being a woman. Goten, huh? Now there was an idea, his mom never said anything about calling Goten…_

_ “Maybe you’re right, Bulla. I’ll call Goten, but he told me he doesn’t like girls that wear makeup, you should wash it off before he gets here.” _

_ Bulla gasped horrified and ran all the way to the bathroom. “Trunks! Help me!” she begged. _Oh for crying out loud, couldn’t she do it herself? Oh right, she was six, she probably did need help washing her face.

_ Trunks dialed Goten’s number that he knew by heart as he made his way to the bathroom where Bulla was ineffectively splashing her face with water, and getting it everywhere. _ Thank god for cleaning bots. _ Goten answered on the third ring. _

_ “What’s up?” his best friend answered. _

_ “How soon can you get here?” Trunks asked not bothering to give any context. _

_ “I thought you were stuck babysitting this weekend?” _

_ “I am BUT—” Trunks grabbed a washcloth for Bulla’s face. “I’ve got an idea. Remember Cami and Corsette?” Trunks asked as he wet the washcloth with warm water. _

_ “Yeeah,” Trunks could hear Goten perking up. _

_ “Hiii Goten!” Bulla interrupted loudly. Trunks could hear Goten chuckle on the other end. _

_ “Tell Bulla, I said hi,” Goten said. _

_ “Goten says hi,” Trunks said dismissively to a beaming Bulla as he wordlessly instructed her to sit on the toilet where he began gently washing off her makeup. “Anyway, they told me they had no plans this weekend—” _

_ “So give me one of their numbers,” Goten interrupted before Trunks could finish. Trunks let out unintelligible words of protest. “Well, _ ** _you_ ** _ can’t go anywhere, you’re watching Bulla,” Goten reasoned. _

_ Trunks thought of something evil, “I’m sorry Bulla, Goten says he doesn’t want to come over,” he said sadly directly into the mouthpiece, making sure Goten would hear. _

_ “WHY?!” Bulla wailed pushing Trunks’ hand away from her face. _

_ “What?! I never said that!” Goten exclaimed. “No, she’s going to call my mom!” Goten moaned. _

_ “Not if you change your mind right now,” Trunks offered and continued to try and scrub a now pouty Bulla’s face. _

_ “Fine, but you’ve got to come up with something….You probably already have a plan, don’t you?” Goten said in realization. _

_ “You’re catching on,” Trunks said proudly. _

_ “Alright, I’ll be there in a few,” Goten grumbled. “Make sure you tell Bulla. I don’t want my mom on my case.” _

_ Trunks hung up the phone, “Good news, Bulla, your boyfriend is coming after all.” Bulla clapped her hands in delight. “Now be a good girl and sit still, Goten said he wants to see you as fast as he can so he’ll get here any minute.” Bulla immediately obeyed and stopped fidgeting long enough for Trunks to clean the remnants of her makeup from her face. _

_ Sure enough, Trunks felt Goten’s energy approach the compound not soon after he had gotten Bulla all cleaned up. Trunks couldn’t stop Bulla from running out to greet Goten on the Capsule Corp lawn, but he tried to keep up. _ Damn, that kid moves fast. _ He made it just in time to see a giggling Bulla tackle a startled Goten to the ground. Trunks couldn’t help but keel over laughing as he observed a flustered Goten trying to get up to no avail as Bulla kept him pinned to the ground. _

_ “Alright, that’s enough, Bulla.” Trunks picked up Bulla from the back of her dress and brought her to his eye level. “I’m pretty sure Goten got the message.” He placed her back on her feet while Goten glared at Trunks while trying to wipe the grass from his pants. _

_ “Goten! Do you like my dress?” Bulla excitedly asked Goten as she twirled around for him. _

_ Goten smiled though it didn’t reach his eyes, “Of course I do! It’s my favorite color!” he told her sweetly. Trunks rolled his eyes. Perfect, polite Goten. _

_ Bulla squealed in happiness, “Miss ChiChi made it for me. She said you better like it!” Goten blanched. _

_ “Um...yeah...I like it a whole lot!” Goten seemed to struggle to find more praise. “It makes you look...um…very pretty.” _

Uh oh, Goten made a costly mistake. Bulla’s never going to let that one go._ Instead of exploding like he thought she might, Bulla turned bright red and looked away shyly. Trunks took her by the hand and led her back to the house without protest. _

_ “Why don’t you play in your room for a little bit or see if grandma will make us some dessert, maybe you can help her?” Trunks suggested to Bulla so that he could go over his game plan with Goten. Bulla looked uncertain, not wanting to leave Goten. “Goten says his future wife needs to be a good cook.” Trunks saw Goten frown at him. _

_ Bulla looked at Goten in anticipation; however, she didn’t make a comment and instead started giggling and went to find her grandmother. _

_ Goten was decidedly unamused, “Stop using me to get your sister to do your bidding.” _

_ “No way, it works too well,” Trunks dismissed the younger hybrid. “Besides, you love that she has a crush on you. She’s got everyone wrapped around her finger and now she’s wrapped around yours. The two of you could conquer the universe.” Trunks didn’t miss the smug look and small smile that appeared on Goten’s face, but it quickly disappeared. _

_ “When did this crush kick into full gear?” Goten asked Trunks curiously. “I didn’t think I was around her enough.” _

_ “No idea,” Trunks answered truthfully, “But I think she’s just like my mom. Can’t resist cute boys,” Trunks said teasingly and winked at Goten. _

_ “Whatever, man. I heard Bulma telling my mom not to let you ditch Bulla, how are we going to hook up with Corsette and Cami with Bulla around?” _

_ “You’re still a teenager, you wouldn’t understand.” Trunks had to sidestep a swipe from Goten. “Anyway, the first step is who do we call? Corsette is majoring in fashion while Cami’s getting a degree in child development. Whom shall I call?” Trunks asked Goten coyly. _

_ “I don’t know. What do their fields of study have to do with anything?” a mildly vexed Goten asked. Trunks slapped a palm to his face. _

_ “Watch and learn,” Trunks sighed at his best friend’s lack of understanding. Once again, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. _

_ “Hello?” a tentative female voice answered. _

_ “Hey, Cami! It’s Trunks!” he maybe said a bit too enthusiastically. Goten sniggered. _

_ “Oh hi, Trunks!” she said sweetly. _

_ “Listen, I heard you and Corsette didn’t have any plans tonight.” _

_ “Yes, that’s true…” _

_ “Believe me, there’s nothing Goten and I would rather do than take you and Corsette out on the town but he’s helping me take care of my baby sister this weekend—” _

_ “Oh, how old is your sister?” _Bingo.

_ “She’s six and quite the handful. We’re hoping to take her to the carnival in town and tucker her out, she can be quite rambunctious.” _

_ Cami let out a little squeal, “Oh my gosh, I love the carnival and six year olds.” _

_ “You and Corsette are welcome to join us,” Trunks tried not to sound excited. _

_ “Definitely! I never had any brothers and sisters of my own, I’d love to meet her!” she said sweetly, “And to see you and Goten of course,” she added. _

_ “That sounds great. When can you two meet up?” Trunks gave Goten the thumbs up. _

_ “Um...how about six?” It was only about one o’clock. _

_ “That actually sounds perfect. You know, my sister goes to bed pretty early so we can pretty much have the compound to ourselves later,” Trunks said pressing his luck. _

_ “Alright,” Cami replied, but Trunks couldn’t decipher any meaning from her tone. _

_ “Great! See you later!” _

_ “I’ll be sure to collect Corsette. Bye Trunks!” she hung up somewhat abruptly. _

_ “And that’s how it’s done,” Trunks smugly turned to Goten. “We’ve got dates tonight, and all we have to do is hang out with Bulla at the carnival for a few hours then it’s back here to put her to bed along with our dates.” _

_ “Using Bulla to score points with the child development student? Good strategy. I do it all the time. Pan is a babe magnet. Sometimes I think she likes all the attention more than I do!” Goten laughed. _

_ Since it would be hours until it was time to meet the girls at the carnival, Trunks and Goten went to the kitchen to see what Bulla and Panchy were cooking up. Bulla proudly showed off a misshapen frosted blob she claimed was a cake, but it was surprisingly delicious despite its unappetizing looks. Bulla was excited that they were going to the carnival, and Trunks suggested they go there right away to kill time before meeting their dates. _

_ Bulla had preferred to hold Goten’s hand as they made their way through the crowds when they reached the fairgrounds. “Why did you have to come, Trunks?” Bulla pouted and Goten sniggered. Ah, so Trunks was only her favorite when Goten wasn’t around. _

_ “Because I have the money,” Trunks said, a bit stung by Bulla’s question. _

_ Trunks and Goten were able to get in some good girl watching and got a few numbers—Goten was right, Bulla was a babe magnet—while they kept Bulla amused with rides, games, and snacks. Bulla only allowed Trunks and Goten to win her one prize each, and ultimately took the reigns in acquiring her other prizes. She had so many that they had to put them in a spare capsule Trunks had on hand, but she wanted to carry around the pink stuffed bear Goten had won her. The carnival worker at the strongman game had been stunned to see Bulla ring the bell that he demanded Bulla repeat the phenomena, which she did, only to end up breaking the mechanism. Trunks ended up having to pay off the carnival worker with a handful of zeni. _

_ Soon enough it was time to meet the girls. “This has been the best day ever Trunks!” Bulla gushed to him. She had seemingly forgiven him for interloping on her date with Goten and now chose to hold his hand which he couldn’t help but lord over the disappointed looking Goten. “You never spend time with me!” she said happily instead of accusing him. Bulla looked pensive for a moment and turned to Goten. “Trunks said you don’t like girls in makeup so I took it off but I like it so I’m gonna wear it on our next date.” Goten merely gave Trunks an exasperated look while Trunks let out a roar of laughter. _

_ Trunks immediately stopped laughing and composed himself as he spotted the two dates he had set up for himself and Goten. _

_ Corsette certainly lived up to her name though she didn’t seem to wear one. She was the textbook definition of an hourglass figure, shapely and well proportioned. Cami, on the other hand, had long slim legs and a great rack. Trunks spoke to Goten from the corner of his mouth. “I call dibs on Corsette.” _

_ “Fine by me,” Goten looked over at Cami appreciatively. _ Score! _ That meant Goten was getting Bulla on his date meanwhile Trunks could hang out with Corsette uninterrupted. _

_ Each couple went their separate ways. Bulla hadn’t seemed to mind being led away by Goten and Cami. In fact, Cami seemed more interested in Bulla than Goten much to his chagrin, but Bulla was delighted by the extra attention. _

_ Hanging out wasn’t precisely what Trunks and Corsette were currently doing at the time, the Ferris wheel was a great place to fool around. Mid-kiss, Trunks felt his sister’s energy spike, followed by an explosion and a screaming stampede. Then he felt Goten’s energy rise, as well. Trunks couldn’t let Goten handle whatever it was alone. _

_ Corsette clung to Trunks out of fear, they were technically stuck on the ride. Making a quick decision, Trunks forced the safety bar open and held on tight to a now screaming Corsette. He floated them safely to the ground. _

_ “Are you alright?” he asked Corsette, who had stopped screaming and was now looking at him in shock. _

_ “What are you?!” Maybe he wasn’t going to able to salvage this date after all. _

_ “No time to explain, just get somewhere safe!” he began to move away, “I’ll call you!” he yelled out back to her. _

_ “Oh no, you won’t!” he heard Corsette in the distance. _ Dammit! Someone is going to pay. _ Trunks thought. _

_ Trunks quickly found the source of the commotion, a Super Saiyan 2 Bulla was bawling while a Super Saiyan Goten was trying to hold her at bay. Cami didn’t seem to be scared off at all, instead, she watched the whole thing fascinated and furiously took notes. _

_ “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE!” Bulla screamed at Goten, pulling away from him. This was bad, with her power unchecked, Bulla could level the whole city. _

_ “Go talk to her,” Cami looked up from her notes, seemingly noticing Trunks was there. “I don’t think Goten’s brute force is going to calm her down, it’s probably causing her temper to climb,” she scribbled some more stuff into her notepad. _

_ “How did this even happen?!” Trunks asked the young woman. _

_ “I’m afraid Goten unintentionally broke her heart.” _ Ugh, that idiot! _ Goten was making it on his shit list along with his parents, for making him watch Bulla, and Bulla herself for causing a scene. When Trunks didn’t move, Cami spoke up again. “Go talk to her,” she insisted firmly. “Stay calm, remove the source of the tension—” _ Yup, that was a good idea. _ Quickly, before Cami could finish, Trunks swooped in and knocked out Goten with a swift kick to the back of the head. That shocked Bulla out of the Super Saiyan transformation, then she quickly ran to where an unconscious Goten laid. _

_ “You hurt him!” she yelled to Trunks accusingly while she kneeled by the passed out Goten, tears in her eyes. _

_ Trunks threw up his hands in frustration. “You were trying to do the same thing!” He would never understand girls, not even the six year olds. _

_ “Is Goten going to die?!” she wailed, burying her tearful face into the unconscious teen’s t-shirt. _

_ “Okay enough of this,” Trunks said to himself. He went over to Cami, asking her to fill Goten in on what happened once he came to, then picked up a bawling Bulla by the scruff of her dress. She screamed protesting that she didn’t want to leave Goten while he was dying but she was too exhausted to power up and try to fight Trunks. _

_ As Trunks slowly flew to Capsule Corp with Bulla in his arms, he noticed her loud crying had been subdued to pitiful moans and sniffles. What had Cami said? Bulla had her young heart broken? Oof, Trunks knew what that was like, though his romance had been more mature and more importantly, reciprocated. She would get over it, wouldn’t she? Maybe he would take Cami’s advice and try to talk to her, maybe comfort her? He didn’t like seeing his normally happy baby sister so sad. _

_ “Hey, Bulla?” Trunks said to the little girl in his arms. She looked up at him with big blue eyes like his own, giving him her attention. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” she shook her head and buried her face in his chest, he could still feel the wetness there. He carried her to her bedroom and set her down on her bed and took a seat beside her. Silent tears were still running down her face. _

What can I say to her? _ Trunks asked himself. _

_ “When I was younger I liked someone who was too old for me, you’ll get over it, I did.” _ Well kind of. _ “Bulla, you had to find out sometime Goten was never going to like you.” _

_ Trunks didn’t see the slap coming. _

_ “Get out!” Bulla screamed, bawling again. “This was the worst day ever!” her crying got even worse. “I—want—Marron!” she managed to cry out clutching her pillow. How did she not run out of water for her tears, Trunks had no idea. Nevertheless, Trunks left her room and rubbed his cheek where the powerful slap connected. _

_“Well, this has been a total disaster,”_ _Trunks mumbled to himself. He knew there would be consequences from his parents but he had no idea how to handle the situation. He flipped open his phone and went through his contacts to find her number. Luckily, she picked it up on the second ring._

_ “Hello?” Marron answered cautiously. _I guess she doesn’t have my number, or maybe she knows it’s me.

_ “Hey Marron, this is Trunks.” he waited for her reply. _

_ “Bulma told me to ignore you if you called asking for a babysitter.” Marron said curtly. _

_ “I know but this is an emergency.” Trunks could hear Marron’s sharp intake of breath. _

_ “What happened? Is Bulla alright? I felt her energy spike.” Trunks could hear the panic in her tone. _

_ “Yes, she’s fine!” he quickly reassured her, “Well...physically, at least. She’s in her room hysterically crying over some nonsense with Goten and I don’t know what to do.” He could hear Marron exhale in relief. _

_ “Well, have you tried comforting her?” Marron suggested like it was the most obvious thing in the world. _

_ “What would that entail?” Trunks probably needed to know this for the future but hopefully, after this weekend his parents wouldn’t trust him with Bulla again. _

_ “Hugging her, rubbing her back, speaking soothing words,” Marron rattled off. _

_ “That sounds great! When can you get here?” Trunks asked upbeat. _

_ “I don’t know, your mom was pretty clear…Can’t you do it?” She was waffling instead of outright rejecting the notion, that was good! _

_ “She asked for you. Didn’t want me around.” Trunks was pretty sure Marron had a bit of a crush on him. Time to exploit that crush! “It would mean a lot to me too, I don’t like seeing her like this. I would owe you one, maybe I could treat you somewhere?” _

_ “Okay—well—I guess, I just need to ask my mom and dad first, then I can fly over there,” she stammered out. _

_ “I’m so glad your dad got transferred to West City. It’s so good to have you nearby.” Trunks laid it on thick. He was pretty sure if he saw Marron right now, she’d be as red as a tomato. _

_ “I’ll call back if I can’t make it, if I can, you’ll be feeling my energy soon,” she said quickly. _

_ “Thanks, Marron, you’re a gem,” Trunks said before hanging up. _

_ Sure enough, not soon after the phone call, Trunks felt two familiar energies approach the compound. Marron had arrived with Krillin in tow, who looked upon Trunks with strong disapproval. _

_ It looked like Marron had been getting ready for a night out. In addition to a trendy dress, she had let her normally pigtailed hair down and even put on a bit of makeup, obviously done up more expertly than Bulla’s had been. Dare he think it? She looked pretty. _

_ “She’s in her room?” Marron simply asked upon seeing Trunks. “Thanks,” she said as she disappeared up the stairs to comfort a crying Bulla. _

_ With Marron gone, it was only Krillin and Trunks in the family living room. Trunks felt increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Krillin’s gaze, especially since his mother was right. Marron was probably going to hang out with some high school friends, and he felt guilty about ruining her night out. _

_ “You know you could have handled this,” Krillin said breaking the silence. _

_ “No, I couldn’t have,” Trunks sighed, ashamed of himself. It seems he failed two people precious to him today. _

* * *

Bulla had never felt so cheery coming home from school on a Friday, and couldn’t wait to get home. She couldn’t help but stop to smell the flowers despite taking the shortest route from school to Capsule Corp. How had she not noticed the fragrant smells coming off the fruit stand she passed by nearly every afternoon? How did she miss the bubbles, balloons, and laughter coming from the busking clown that always set up shop on his corner? There was so much color in the city, and the cacophony of city sounds no longer sounded like a discordant mess, but instead, it seemed the sounds all came together to form a sweet harmony. Even the sounds of sirens sounded like the bridge of a beautiful song. Maybe it was the warmer weather that was improving her mood, or maybe it was just that the sun was out and the sky was a clear blue, almost as blue as her hair. 

In any case, despite the hitherto unseen beauty of West City, Bulla was excited to get home. After all, she had been tracking his energy ever since the last hour of the school day. It was nearly driving her crazy with him being so close and she was stuck in last period history class. She had been restless, shaking her leg and staring out the window. The final bell of the day rang out, providing Bulla with some much-needed relief. She had bid a hasty to goodbye to Chemise and company and made her way through the urban sprawl to the crowning jewel of the western capital. 

Tracking his energy, Bulla found herself in her grandparents’ open-air atrium. _ Typical for nature boy. _Goten looked like one of those fairytale cartoon princesses the way the animals crowded around him and how the sunlight filtered in to shine a spotlight directly on him. He looked so at peace petting the many animals her grandparents kept that he hadn’t noticed her yet. It was a shame she was going about to ruin that tranquility for him.

Bulla kept her energy as low as possible before approaching Goten as stealthily as possible. She quickly performed a sweeping kick that landed Goten on his back. She didn’t waste any time in straddling his hips and pinning him beneath her. 

“Hello, stranger,” she said smiling down at him. Goten’s surprised expression quickly turned into a smirk and he pulled her down for a kiss. _ Sparks. Sparks every time. _They went at it for a while, until Bulla needed to come up for air.

“How did you get so good at kissing, anyway?” Bulla asked after they disconnected their lips. She was still on top of him while he kept his hands firmly on her hips.

“Trunks and I used to practice with each other,” Goten replied casually. 

Bulla’s eyes bugged out and she quickly detangled herself from him and stood up in alarm. “What?!” she exclaimed loudly enough to send packs of birds in the atrium flying off in different directions. _ I kissed someone who kissed Trunks?! Oh god, what else did they do with each other?! Did Trunks get to touch Goten’s junk before I did? _Bulla felt very possessive at the moment.

Goten’s face was dead serious for a second before he burst out laughing, he too got up. 

“Oh, so you were having a go at me?” Bulla crossed her arms and tried her hardest not to smile. 

“It’s payback time for everything you’ve done to me the past six months,” he said smugly, “Don’t think I forgot about that couple comment.”

Bulla pouted, and Goten swung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, planting a kiss on the top of her head. Reluctantly, the two pulled away from each other. Bulla missed the warmth of Goten’s body and the softness of his shirt against her bare arms. _ I wonder what kind of fabric softener ChiChi uses? _

As if on cue, Marron and Trunks entered the atrium. Marron looked very well put together in her grey detective pantsuit, but Trunks’ clothes were covered in singe marks and tears, though he had no visible injuries. Even though both Marron and Trunks looked weary and tired, Bulla didn’t miss the spark of excitement in Marron’s light blue eyes.

“Woah what happened to you?” Bulla asked with mirth. She couldn’t keep the smiles off her face these days. She couldn’t help it, she was just in a good mood all of the time!

“Glad to see how much you care,” her brother said slightly miffed. “I’ll have you know, the entire West City police force was summoned.”

Bulla remembered hearing police sirens blaring and converging in one area, “Oh, that was you?” she asked disinterestedly. Trunks kept the sour expression on his face. “Oh relax, I could tell you weren’t in any danger. If it’s you versus a steamroller, I’m betting on you to win, and you know I wouldn’t let you face it alone if there was too much for you to handle,” Bulla said placatingly.

“It was a trash incinerator,” he mumbled, but nevertheless he looked pleased by Bulla’s confidence in him. Marron raised her eyebrow, looking like she had questions for the young heiress, but Bulla could tell the older girl was holding her tongue. _ Nothing gets past her. _

“He was a hero!” Marron gushed, full of admiration for the violet-haired half-Saiyan next to her. Bulla saw her brother’s cheeks turn pink with her praise. “He got me my evidence! And there were no civilian injuries!” she proudly held up what looked to be a computer hard drive. “I just hope our guy was dumb enough not to erase anything.” She was positively frothing at the mouth at the treasure in her hands.

“Were you going to join us at the movies tonight, Marron?” Goten asked, finally saying something. 

Marron grumbled, “I would love that but I have to go do paperwork or else we might not be able to use this in our investigation.” She held up the hard drive once again, “I just wanted to come by and say hi. I haven’t seen you two since that trip to your apartment, Goten—though Trunks has been filling me in on all your get-togethers,” she said her eyes skimming over the two teenage half-breeds. _ Act normal, Bulla. Luckily, Goten probably doesn’t know she’s suspicious or he would give us away. “ _All three of you enjoy yourselves though, and I’ll definitely make it to your birthday party, Bulla.”

“I’m going to walk Marron out and then take a shower,” Trunks told the two teens before following Marron. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen!” he called out over his shoulder as he and Marron left the atrium with their heads huddled together whispering to one another.

Bulla watched them out of curiosity and turned to Goten, “Do you think there’s anything going on between them?” Goten just looked nonplussed.

“I don’t think so,” he put on a thoughtful expression, “we always saw Marron as our little sister, then again that was when she was twelve.”

“Yeah, she’s actually older than you now. Twenty-five and thirty isn’t a big gap,” Bulla reasoned. “And you know things change.” She gave a pointed look to Goten, “I wouldn’t mind it.”

“Wishful thinking?” Goten offered. “What would Detective Marron say to you jumping to conclusions without evidence?” he said in faux seriousness.

Bulla swatted at him, “Fine.”

“They’re probably just friends. I don’t think he’s gotten over my loss,” Goten said smugly.

Bulla laughed at Goten’s arrogance. “Oh, get over yourself, you’re not dead,” Bulla scoffed. “And besides this is all only temporary. You’ll be back in Trunks’ arms soon enough.” Suddenly, the mood turned somber and awkward. Bulla knew Goten never liked it when anyone brought up that he was due to be aged up in six months but he needed to get used to the idea, Bulla thought.

“Let’s go wait for Trunks. How odd that he knew you’d be hanging out in the kitchen?” she said in mock surprise trying to defuse the tension that had appeared. After saying bye to all the animals he had given his own nicknames to, Goten finally followed a patiently waiting Bulla out of the atrium.

Bulla grudgingly shared the gallon of ice cream she made sure was on the grocery list every week while they waited for Trunks to get dressed and showered. This had been somewhat of a routine for the past two months. To alleviate any suspicion from Trunks—they had avoided Marron for good reasons—they hadn’t raised any fuss when Trunks invited himself along to Goten and Bulla’s weekend plans. She had used Pan and her relationship, as well as the fear of ChiChi as an excuse for why she was hanging out with Goten. Bulla suspected Trunks was lonely and missing his best friend, and that’s why he had given up trying to get Goten to go out for adult fun and instead invited himself or sometimes invited them to hang out for more age-appropriate activities.

Goten was always finding stuff to do, and always avoiding that one singular topic, the adult life he left behind. Whenever Bulla would suggest an outing into his old life, like visiting his workplace, Goten would always bring up rare exotic phenomena, like a flower that only bloomed every forty years, or say it was the perfect time to see the auroras in the northern region. Bulla didn’t want to push him and truthfully she didn’t want to acknowledge it either but she knew Go-teen would have to disappear eventually.

As Goten and Bulla’s spoons were locked in a battle for who got the last bit of ice cream, Trunks was finally ready to go to the movies. Instead of walking or flying to the theatre, Trunks drove them in one of his many fancy cars. Bulla called shotgun, of course, leaving Goten cramped in the backseat. These cars were trendy and stylish but they definitely weren’t roomy.

“I never asked you,” Goten began from the backseat, “but why don’t you drive, Bulla? You can get your license in this region at sixteen, can’t you?”

Trunks let out a howl of laughter. “She’s too much like my dad.”

“I believe he asked me,” Bulla sneered at her big brother. “Anyway,” Bulla turned her head back to look at a smooshed Goten in the backseat, “Maybe I get a little frustrated with the test takers,” she admitted.

“Understatement.” Trunks interrupted.

“I’ve been banned from taking the test until I complete an anger management course,” Bulla said sheepishly.

Everything had been fine when they were in the car but once they arrived, his demeanor changed. Trunks was acting odder than usual today, but what constituted as odd for a thirty year old man who was spending his weekends unknowingly chaperoning two sixteen-year-olds?

Unlike on their other outings, Trunks kept an eye on the two of them the whole time. He sat between them in the theatre and never left them alone. He sent Goten to get snacks and drink refills whenever he ran out and even though he was fidgeting, he avoided going to the bathroom, and it wasn’t until after the show when Bulla said she had to use the restroom, that Trunks finally went to relieve himself. Bulla wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

After Goten left, Bulla followed Trunks as he tried to escape to his room. “Wow, you are not good at pretending nothing is wrong,” she said from behind him. “I should tell Marron how subtle you were being.”

“I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary,” Trunks said with a sigh, trying to get away but Bulla wouldn’t let him.

“As if. You were watching Goten more than the movie. Which was weird because you were gushing about that movie all week since the lead was your favorite soap opera actor.”

Trunks faced Bulla and opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, grimacing. 

“Well, say something,” Bulla prompted him. 

“Fine,” he grumbled and motioned her to follow him into his room. Bulla stood at the doorway, surprised to see how clean it was, no doubt credit went to the maids and cleaning bots. Trunks put his jacket away without saying anything. “Just come in,” Trunks said exasperated. Bulla complied and plopped on his king-sized bed. She could only recall a few times that she had been in here, being fourteen years apart their interests didn’t exactly intersect. 

Bulla felt the bed sink as Trunks sat down next to her. “I’m a bit worried,” Trunks finally said. _ Did he know? Goten and I were really careful. _Bulla kept her face and energy as impassive as possible. 

“About what? Is it that thing at work?” Bulla asked trying to divert the topic to something other than what she feared it might be.

“No, that’s pretty much wrapping up,” Trunks ran a hand down his face, “It’s you and Goten.” _ Dammit, so he might know something. _

Bulla decided to play dumb, “What could I and Goten give you to worry about?” she asked pretending to be surprised.

“It’s obvious he has a crush on you.” This time the surprise on her face wasn’t feigned. 

“What?! What gave you that idea?” Bulla was afraid to know the answer. “And you’ve been hanging out with us for months, why is this worrying you now?”

“Marron picked up on it and told me, just today actually. I guess I didn’t want to see it but it makes sense now, why he’s being such a good boy. Believe me, the sixteen year old Goten I knew wouldn’t be spending his free time studying, but I suspect he just wants to spend time with you. I caught him sniffing your hair too.” Bulla scrunched her face at that revelation. She didn’t know about the hair thing. “And his crush combined with the one you used to have—”

“Hey!” Bulla said indignantly, “I got over that years ago!”

“Okay, okay,” Trunks put his hands up in surrender. “I believe you. I just want…” Trunks paused, “I don’t want the same thing that happened to me to happen to you. Seeing you heartbroken once was enough. If you say you don’t have feelings for Goten, I’ll drop it.”

Bulla was relieved. All she had to say was, in essence, the truth, she didn’t have romantic feelings for Goten, but it didn’t come out as easily as she thought it would. Luckily for her, Trunks didn’t notice.

* * *

Bulla found that Saturdays were still for Saiyans, just not in the way they were with Pan. While the pool wouldn’t be her first choice to make out, it was the wisest. They could count on Trunks and Vegeta’s senses of smell to be among the sharpest in the population, smelling them all over each other would be a dead giveaway. The chlorine in the pool overpowered their scents and the water masked any smells that the two teens would give off to indicate they were doing anything more than just swimming. There was another benefit to fooling around in the pool, however, Goten didn’t have to wear a shirt. She was sure he appreciated her minimally dressed form as well because she could feel his appreciation pressed against her.

Before she could help take care of it, the two teens had to spring apart. Vegeta was making his way over to the two. Bulla wasn’t sure if her dad was getting suspicious or not. He was keeping his energy practically non-existent and prowling about the house. Bulla could only tell when he was coming when she smelled him come near. Luckily, Vegeta’s scent was always strong as he was always training.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t pull away from each other fast enough and Bulla needed some quick thinking on her side. Still holding onto Goten’s shoulders, she pushed him underwater and kept him there while he thrashed wildly trying to surface.

“Take that third class!” Bulla taunted, using her superior strength to keep Goten underwater. 

While Vegeta looked upon her in approval, he told her to let Goten up.

“Aw, you’re no fun, daddy,” Bulla pouted. She let go of Goten and let him resurface. Goten swam to the pool’s edge and started coughing up water.

“As much as I enjoyed seeing the boy flail, you’re wasting valuable training time.” Her father looked at her sternly, “I’ll be having my afternoon meal, you can use the gravity chamber for two hours at most,” he told the pair and presumably went to the kitchen.

“You could have warned me,” Goten said once Vegeta had made his way back into the house.

“But then it wouldn’t have looked real., Bulla said innocently.

“Why would you think drowning me would make your dad less suspicious?” a flabbergasted Goten asked.

Bulla shrugged, “He never questions anything that has to do with harming your family. It wouldn’t make sense to a well-adjusted person but I guess it makes sense to him.”

Goten still looked a little hurt, “Aw cheer up,” Bulla said placatingly, “After all, I still have to take care of my friend here,” she said deeply as she moved her hand to the front of his swim trunks.

Saturday was the only day they could satiate their physical desire for one another, and according to Bulla, that’s all it was, physical. They would have their fun and when the time came for Goten to wish himself older they would go their separate ways. They were Saiyans and according to her dad—who was the supreme authority on Saiyans—they didn’t form romantic attachments. Fueled by lust, that’s what they were.

Since Pan was spending most of her free time with Sasshi, Goten came up with the idea to use this as an opportunity to be her new training buddy. Of course, they weren’t doing the type of training their parents expected of them. Vegeta’s gravity chamber was a good fit, Bulla had to admit. The safety features ensured that no one came in without a warning, and if people thought they were sparring, no one would think anything of the fluctuations in their energies. 

They had thought they had all their bases covered, except for one that they never anticipated.

The _ swoosh _sound coincided with the presence of a subdued but powerful energy. There standing above the two teenagers was Son Goku with two fingers on his forehead. Goten let out a frightened yelp and quickly removed his hands from where they were currently occupied, leaving Bulla exposed to the two Sons. At the same time, Bulla sat up and couldn’t help but scream having been startled by Earth’s greatest warrior. Having noticed her, Goku himself started to visibly panic. He covered his crotch with his hands and pleaded, “No! Please! Bulla, don’t hurt me!” he begged, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” 

Bulla scrambled to put her sports bra back on. No doubt her scream and Goku’s energy alerted her father and he’d be coming in soon. “I won’t hurt you if you shut up and don’t say anything to daddy!” she screeched in panic. Goku nodded eagerly. _ He probably remembers the last time he instant transmitted to me. _Goten quickly moved as far away from Bulla and his father as he could to the other side of the room.

Not a moment later, Bulla was proven right. The room powered down and in walked an irate Vegeta. _ He’s probably pissed off we interrupted his meal. _“What is the meaning of this Kakarot!?” he demanded of the younger Saiyan. “Why were the children screaming?” Vegeta’s fists were clenched and to Bulla it looked like he was about to throw down. 

“Sorry, daddy,” Bulla began breathlessly, “He just startled us is all.” Vegeta sniffed the air, _ Oh no! Please don’t notice. _Bulla silently prayed to gods she knew had no power to intervene. “You should go back to having lunch,” she suggested trying to keep herself as calm as possible.

Vegeta looked sharply at Goku ignoring Bulla, “Weren’t you training on Lord Beerus’ planet? Why are you back?” he asked in his normally gruff tone of voice. _ On the bright side, he’s ignoring me and Goten. _Goten was far from her trying to be invisible and still.

Goku looked to Bulla, looking at her to answer her father’s question. _ Why is that idiot looking at me for? _“I don’t know why you’re here, Goku!” she let out in frustration, “Come to think of it. I want to know what the hell possessed you to interrupt our training!” 

Bulla had never seen her dad look so proud.

“I came back because Lord Beerus is coming for Bulla’s birthday party,” Goku said mechanically. Bulla had never seen her dad look so frightened. Bulla, on the other hand, was astonished.

“Really? Cool!” Bulla turned to Goku, no longer angry at the man. “I finally get to meet the God of Destruction? Maybe I’ll challenge him to a fight!” Bulla declared as she started throwing out kicks and punches to an invisible opponent. 

“You will do no such thing!” Vegeta roared at her. Even Goku and Goten flinched but Bulla wasn’t intimidated though she was taken aback. “Never pick a fight with Lord Beerus. He may not want to destroy Earth because the food keeps him coming back but he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy you, and no one would be able to stop him,” her father warned.

Bulla rolled her eyes, “Fine,” she huffed. 

Talk of Lord Beerus’ impending arrival must have unsettled Vegeta because he merely nodded at Bulla and exited the room, leaving the two halflings with Goku. 

Bulla saw Goku slowly lift his fingers to his forehead, “Oh no you don’t!” she rushed to him, slapping his hand away from his forehead.

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me!” Goku recoiled from her touch.

“Oh, would you stop, you baby!” she said fiercely. “I’m not going to hit you.”

“I just want to make one thing clear,” Bulla said intimidatingly, “You will tell no one what you transported in on.” Goku nodded, afraid. “Same deal as last time,” she threatened. Goku gulped and nodded vigorously, and made his way to his son.

“Why did you come here, dad?” Goten moaned in embarrassment.

“When I came home from Lord Beerus’ planet your mom wanted me to come to get you so you can get cleaned up and we can have a family dinner.” 

“Why didn’t you just call me?” Goten said with his head now in his hands.

“This way is faster,” he explained. “I didn’t think you would be up to anything!” he added innocently directing his comment to Bulla. “ChiChi wanted you to come too, Bulla!” Goku said extending his hand to her.

Bulla weighed the pros and cons of attending the Son family dinner. She wasn’t sure if she could hide her shame from ChiChi but she didn’t trust Goku to not let something slip. “I need to shower first, I’ll meet you over there,” Bulla said hastily.

“Okay,” Goku conceded, “But you and I need to have a talk Goten.” Goku addressed his son somewhat authoritatively and put a hand on the boy’s shoulders. He raised two fingers to his forehead, “By the way Bulla, you look just like Bulma,” he said staring at her chest before he and Goten disappeared from sight.

Bulla screamed in mortification. 

* * *

_ God, Goten smells so damn good freshly showered, _ Bulla thought as she tried not to stare at the boy sitting across from her. Every Son was at the dinner table tonight, and Bulla was the lone non-family member, seated at the end next to Pan. Right now, Goten was chewing his food and nodding along to something ChiChi was saying. She wasn’t paying attention to what was being said, she was just eating her food and sneaking looks at Goten. _ What I would do to him. _

Pan nudged her in the side, rather painfully, Bulla would say. “Ow, what was that for?” Bulla hissed to Pan.

“What’s up with you?” Pan asked quietly, “You’ve barely said anything, and you alternatively glare at my grandpa and stare at Goten biting your lip.” _ Dammit. Am I being that obvious? _

“Why the hell are watching me? Sasshi is going to be jealous when I tell her,” Bulla joked hoping to turn the conversation. Pan jabbed her in the side with the end of her chopsticks again.

“Bulla!” Videl said, getting her attention and saving Bulla from whatever Pan was going to say next, “I haven’t seen you around much. What have you been doing lately?” she asked kindly.

“We aren’t done here,” Pan whispered to Bulla.

_ Screwing around with your brother-in-law. _Bulla needed a better thing to say in front of her paramour’s family, though. “Studying mostly. It’s almost summer vacation and they say the second to last year of high school counts the most towards getting into a good university.”

Pan scoffed at Bulla’s statement, “Why do you even care about grades? You can get into any university you want as long as you tell the admissions office who your mom is.”

ChiChi fixed a glare at Pan and opened her mouth to say something but before she could someone else beat her to the punch, “Jeez Pan, give it a rest. Not everyone wants to coast by on their relative’s name, granddaughter of Mr. Satan,” Goten said annoyed.

Pan gawked open-mouthed at Goten but no one else batted an eye. “Goten’s right, Pan,” Gohan spoke up. “Besides even if you can get in based on name alone, you might find yourself not able to keep up and failing out,” he said in between bites of food. “I see it all the time.”

“Well, I think it’s great you’re looking at universities,” Videl beamed at Bulla. “Not thinking of going to Satan City University are you? Gohan can’t guarantee your safety,” she covered her mouth with a hand in an effort to hide her giggles.

“I’d worry about his fan club’s safety if they try anything with Bulla. She’s a beast in the training room,” Goten piped up winking at her, eliciting another stare from Pan. Bulla blushed at the latter part of Goten’s comment and tried to hide her face in her long hair. 

At the talk of training Goku perked up, “Really?” he looked to Goten excitedly. “Would you mind if I have a go at her? What do you think, Bulla?” Goten starting choking pulling everyone’s attention to him at the moment instead of Bulla’s increasingly reddening face. _ Just pretend he didn’t catch you completely topless with his youngest son’s hand down your shorts. _

“Maybe someday, Goku,” Bulla managed to get out as calmly as she could. “But daddy barely even lets me use his training room, and we’re trying to get Goten up to snuff,” she shot a warning glance towards the old Saiyan. 

Still, he didn’t seem to catch on, “If you want higher gravity, I can just instant transmit us to King Kai’s planet!”

“Oh for god's sake, Goku, she doesn’t want to train with you!” an irate ChiChi came to her defense, “And while you’re here, you won’t be training, you’ll be working the fields,” she told a demoralized looking Goku. Everyone was quiet for a moment and just went back to their food.

Videl cleared her throat, “Getting back on track,” she began, “What do you think you’d be interested in studying, Bulla?” 

The rest of the dinner passed with casual conversation and some laughs. Aside from telling off Goku, ChiChi couldn’t seem to stop beaming. All in all, Bulla felt more comfortable and more at ease than at previous Son family dinners. She honestly couldn’t remember an instance when she was there with all of them together, usually, there was one or two missing, but most of the time, it was her and Ms. ChiChi who would send her home with some leftovers. Bulla realized she liked everyone together very much.

Once all the plates were licked clean, Bulla offered to help with the dishes since she hadn’t helped with the cooking this time but once again ChiChi dismissed her and assigned her two sons and husband to clean up duty, leaving the girls to relax in the cozy living room. Bulla was content to wait and let her food settle before Goten flew her home—she hadn’t objected this time when ChiChi ordered Goten to do so—but Pan had other ideas. 

“My mom’s right, Bulla,” she began, “You haven’t been by in a while,” Pan said with a fake smile plastered to her face, Bulla could tell. “We need to catch up, let’s go to my room.” She picked Bulla up by the arm and led her out the door, “We’ll be back, grandma,” she said placatingly to ChiChi who made a move to rise from her seat and say something. 

Pan was gripping Bulla’s upper arm so hard to the point of it hurting. “What are you doing? Let go!” Bulla hissed shaking Pan off once they were outside. 

“You were so potent, even I could smell you,” Pan said suspiciously. “Lucky for you, my dad is too polite to say anything and grandpa probably has no idea what your scent means.”

“Oh my god, Pan.” Bulla threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, “We’re teenagers! It happens! Even a carrot can set me off, much in the way oysters do it for you. Ow!” Pan had pinched her at the latter part of her statement.

“You weren’t staring at a carrot, you damn well know, and you couldn’t keep your eyes off Uncle Goten,” she accused harshly. She paused, “And my grandpa,” she added confused. “But you haven’t been hanging around grandpa!” she said regaining her senses. “We’re best friends. We tell each other everything,” Pan said quietly.

“And when could I have possibly told you anything? If there’s anything to tell?” she challenged Pan. “You kicked me to the curb once you got yourself a girlfriend.” Bulla crossed her arms defensively.

Pan shook her head. “That’s not true! I invited you out with us plenty of times. You said no and I gave you your space.”

“Gee, I wonder why I didn’t want to be a third wheel on your dates?” Bulla snapped sarcastically, “You two completely ignored me, and that especially hurt from you since you could even tell I was so miserable. So what if I’ve found a new friend to spend time with?”

“Right, he’s just a friend,” Pan rolled her eyes and hadn’t even tried to deny what a crappy friend she had been the past few months. Pan then sighed, “But maybe you’re right, maybe I convinced myself it was right to leave you alone so I could spend time guilt free with Sasshi.” Pan grabbed Bulla’s arm again, gently this time. “Let’s make it right then, fill me in on what’s happening with you. No judgment, I promise,” she said leading Bulla inside the younger Son’s home and into Pan’s bedroom much like she had done the day after Goten made his wish.

And talk they did, Bulla reluctantly admitted to Pan that she and Goten were more than friends but not quite a couple. Bulla had to admit, she did miss her best friend, while she did have Go-teen to keep her company, nothing beat the one person she could totally be comfortable with.

“I knew he liked you!” Pan gloated.

“You could have told me!” Bulla cried out, swatting Pan in the face with a pillow. “I was totally caught off guard by that attempted kiss.”

“You didn’t fall for it though.”

Bulla sighed, “No, I didn’t.” _ I almost did. _ “So if you knew he had a crush on me, is that why you begged me to go to that party?”

“Duh, I admitted as much that night.”

“I thought you just wanted me to run interference.”

“I could have gotten anyone to do that, but I knew he probably cared more about me than scoring with a random Orange Star High girl and the distraction wouldn’t have lasted,” she said slyly. “He likes you way more than he cares about me getting into trouble, even then I could tell. I mean it took me a while to figure out but from what I remember he never tried so hard to be in someone else’s company as he has with you.” Bulla felt herself warm and she felt a mild euphoric lightheadedness at Pan’s statement.

“I never thought you would like him back though,” Pan said. “What’s up with that? How did you even manage to touch him knowing he was that old guy you avoided?” she asked curiously.

“Well once it started it was very easy,” Bulla snorted, but Pan just stared at her blankly. “It seems insane but my dad said the Saiyans were pretty flippant about fucking.” Bulla wrinkled her nose remembering her dad’s terminology, “I think it’s just my Saiyan side calling out to his, hormones and primal urges…” she trailed off, “Dad said Saiyans didn’t really form romantic bonds, once Go-teen goes back to normal, we’ll probably just pretend it never happened,” she finished casually.

“You can’t be serious,” Pan stared at her unamused, “I don’t know if you noticed but ‘Go-teen’ is totally crazy about you.”

“The beauty of it is, his feelings will probably change once he’s back to himself and since I never developed any at all, we’ll be fine,” Bulla said dismissively but she felt a weight in her gut as she said those things and tried to keep her voice as impassive as possible.

Pan shrugged but then got a glint in her eye. “Have you two done _ it _yet?”

Bulla wasn’t surprised by this line of questioning but she had nothing juicy to tell her like Pan anticipated. She shook her head, “No, I still haven’t, not with Goten, not with anyone.” Pan looked slightly disappointed. _ I wonder why? _ “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not waiting for the ONE,” Bulla assured the older girl, “I would have with Garter just to get it over with but he broke up with me.” It no longer hurt her pride to admit she had been the one that had been dumped. “Have you and Sasshi…?” Bulla trailed off, but Pan knew what she was getting at and nodded. _ Ah so that’s why she’s so eager. And I can’t believe Pan lost her v-card before me! _

“No way! When?” Bulla inquired. She was intrigued by this new development

“About a month ago.”

“Wow, we were long overdue for this talk!” 

“How weird would it be to say you lost your virginity to your best friend’s uncle?” Pan joked instead of elaborating about her and Sasshi.

“Not as pathetic as saying my best friend is my uncle’s lover,” Bulla quipped back.

“Lover sounds like you’re doing it on the reg,” Pan pointed out.

“Semantics! There’s not a word for a ‘guy you fool around with that also happens to kind of be your friend,’” Bulla tried to explain herself. _ What are we exactly? _

“Um, yes there is! It’s B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D,” Pan spelled it out for her

“Ugh, we have an understanding. Don’t ruin it,” Bulla said seriously.

“Would you though? With Uncle Goten?” Pan inquired.

Bulla blushed, truthfully she didn’t know, but that was the next step though wasn’t it? “I don’t know,” she said shyly. While she couldn’t say that there was no one else in all twelve universes that Bulla was closer to, she wanted to keep some things to herself. Every time she was around Goten, she wanted to go further and further. She had a hard time focusing on anything else when Goten’s hands were all over her, they had even had a few close calls, though luckily Goku had been the only one to catch them in the act, and he was the adult least likely to make a fuss. 

“Goten and I haven’t really talked about it,” Bulla shrugged, “It might not be smart in the long run,” she admitted. “I don’t want to go down that road with Go-teen, seems too emotional. I mean, at most there’s only six months until the dragon balls recharge. I don’t think I’ll be able to look him in the eye when all this is over.”

Pan shrugged, “Maybe that same spark will be there when he gets aged back.”

“Yeah, and he can get arrested and beat up by Trunks and my dad,” Bulla scoffed. “I get away with a lot but probably not that, and that ‘sad Son face’ he pulls probably wouldn’t save him but earn him a harsher beating from my dad,” Bulla joked. “Anyway, let’s not focus on me anymore, how did it go down between you and Sasshi?” Pan had some explaining to do.

It wasn’t long before it was time for Bulla to go but the time passed quickly. Catching up with her best friend was just what she needed. Bulla bid farewell to all the Sons and met Goten on the front lawn of the Son home.

“Okay, I can’t resist I have to know,” Bulla said eagerly as they took to the sky. “What did your dad want to talk to you about?”

Goten turned red. “I think I know more about sex than my dad does,” Bulla laughed, though she wasn’t surprised, her dad was always complaining about Goku’s stupidity and she had observed it herself a few times.

“He told me it was rude to pat someone in the front of their pants to find out if they were a boy or a girl, and tried to teach me better ways to identify males and females. He told me a really gross story about your mom too,” Goten shuddered.

Bulla howled with laughter. “So he thought you didn’t know if I was a boy or a girl?” Goten nodded. Wow, no wonder why her dad was often so frustrated by his only subject. She didn’t even want to give any thought to what that “gross” story about her mom could have been.

“Then in all seriousness, he asked me about kissing! Apparently, he and my mom have never kissed and he was trying to get details out of me.” Goten was almost turning green. “It was so embarrassing that I just directed him to Gohan, I shouldn’t have to be the only one who suffers.” Bulla congratulated Goten on a job well done. No one wanted to give their own father ‘the talk’, but at least Goten had avoided the job and was able to pawn it off on Gohan.

Soon Capsule Corp was in sight and the two teenagers landed on the lawn. They were getting ready to say their farewells. “So do you want to get in some extra training tomorrow? I mean actual training this time, well at least it will start that way,” Bulla said pulling Goten closer to her by his belt loop.

“Sorry, can’t. I have to get something extra special for my girlfriend’s birthday,” he said enthusiastically, “It might take a while to put together.” Bulla abruptly pulled away from him and she wanted to punch him. _ How dare he?! _

“You’ve been seeing another girl?!” she seethed primed to throw a punch. “When did you even find the time?” _ Calm down Bulla, you never agreed to be exclusive, _ she told herself. At first, she thought she was jealous of Page and the Satan City girls because she wasn’t the one jumping Goten’s bones but now that she and Goten were the ones fooling around, she found her jealousy persisted and it was layered with something else too... _ pain. _And what was worse was that Goten was laughing at her. Her lip was trembling and tears were starting to form in her eyes.

“Oh ha ha,” Goten said sarcastically pulling her closer to him and planting a kiss on her head, “Raising your energy was a nice touch, but I’m onto you,” he let out a laugh, “Why would I look at anyone else when you’re around? Besides, I can’t even handle you as my girlfriend.” Goten joked. 

Bulla’s eyes widened. Luckily, Goten didn’t see as her face was buried into his chest. _ His warm muscle-y chest. _ “Your dad’s coming. Gotta go,” Goten said before lifting her chin and planting a kiss on her lips before taking off. 

In her turmoil, she hadn’t even noticed her dad’s incoming presence. “I felt your energy spike. Did Kakarot’s boy do something to you?” he asked cautiously from a safe distance. Instead of the agitation she felt last time Vegeta checked on her, she couldn’t keep the corner of her mouth from twitching, nor could she prevent the warmth that started from her belly and made it all the way to her head._ ..Why would I look at anyone else when you’re around? _Bulla broke out into a huge smile. 

“It was nothing daddy,” Bulla said still smiling and walking towards him. “We were just talking about birthday presents.” Bulla could tell Vegeta was still cagey after she broke his nose. She felt his energy rise as she threw her arms around his neck in a hug. She couldn’t resist and planted a kiss on his cheek when he tried to pull away. “Love you, daddy,” Bulla said leaving him on the lawn while she made her way to her room, humming a pleasant melody. 

_ Oh shit, _Bulla realized once she made it to her room. _ He called me his girlfriend. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit where credit is due: I stole the phrase “vampire clown whore” from an irrelevant show from ten years ago, Kyle XY.


	8. The Hours

Bulla didn’t need a babysitter anymore, so why am I here? _ Marron had to ask herself. It wasn’t that Bulla annoyed her or anything but she felt guilty about taking Bulma’s money for essentially doing nothing. Despite appearances, Bulla was actually a good kid. If Capsule Corp didn’t have professional chefs, maids, and cleaning bots, Marron suspected Bulla would help out with the chores and never raise a fuss, but she was like her father in a way, trying to hide the fact that she was a big softy inside. _

_ At the moment, Bulla was on the couch busy taking selfies, trying poses, deleting the bad ones and saving the flattering ones. Marron was trying to focus on her criminology coursework, specifically trying to find a topic for her senior thesis, but she couldn’t, seeing as every few moments Bulla was asking her “Which photo is cuter?...What side is my best side?...Do my eyes look blue enough?” Marron sighed, she was getting burned out anyway, she could use a break. _

_ “Bulla, how old are you, again?” Marron knew of course but she thought Bulla needed some reminding. _

_ “You know I’m twelve,” Bulla muttered out not looking up from her phone presumably still examining her photos. _

_ “Exactly. Who are you trying to impress with these pictures?” Marron asked. _

_ “Everyone. Anyone,” Bulla said bored still not looking up from her phone. Marron had seen Bulla’s account, it was just a lot of cute girly stuff she shared with her friends, but lately there had been more and more pictures of Bulla’s face, more flattering and filtered than the last. _

_ “I think there’s someone in particular,” Marron said knowingly. Bulla had been eschewing things she deemed as for “little girls” and the topics she chose to discuss with Marron were starting to lean on the more mature side of things. “So who is he? A boy from school?”  _ He better be. If it’s some internet weirdo trying to lure her away I’m tracking down that guy myself. Vegeta can have the scraps.

_ Instead of getting embarrassed, Bulla’s eyes lit up like she had been dying to bring this up with Marron. “His name is Jack and he’s in the grade ahead of me,” she giggled. Marron internally sighed in relief. “I think he might like me too. He’s already liked all of my selfies,” she said proudly.  _ Oh wow, a twelve year old already has a more exciting love life than me. _ “Hey, you’re studying to be a detective! Help me find out what these smileys mean.” Bulla shoved her phone under Marron’s face. _

_ Marron read over Bulla’s conversation and rolled her eyes. “Bulla, it’s obvious he likes you. He asked to walk you home someday. You don’t need to be a detective to see that.” _

_ “Really?” the younger girl’s cheeks began to bloom with pink. “What do I do?” she asked nervously. _

_ Marron had to laugh, “Say yes.” _

_ Bulla took a deep breath and typed a few things into her phone and then immediately squealed. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I did that!” Bulla was now very red.  _

_ Soon Bulla’s phone pinged with his response. Marron didn’t get to see what it said but she could tell by Bulla’s delighted scream that it was the outcome the half-Saiyan girl had been hoping for. _

_ “What’s the commotion?” a groggy disheveled Trunks said coming into the room. No shirt, loose sweatpants, completely barefoot, hair sticking up on end, red rimmed eyes, Marron rattled off all the details she observed in her head. _

_ “Late night last night?” Marron asked casually. It was one o’clock in the afternoon and it looked like Trunks had just gotten out of bed. _

_ “Ew! Trunks, you reek!” Bulla plugged her nose with her finger and thumb. Now that was something that Marron wasn’t able to notice, not having the superior sense of smell the full Saiyans and partial Saiyans had.  _ Good to note. Thanks Bulla.

_ “You tell me, you’re the dick,” Trunks directed his comment toward Marron and ignored Bulla.  _

_ In less than a second, a slap turned Trunks’ face to the side, “You’re so mean, Trunks,” an offended Bulla told her older brother who was holding his reddening cheek in shock. “You should apologize to Marron.” _

_ All was silent for a moment before Marron burst out laughing. Bulla looked even more affronted at Marron’s outburst. _

_ “He wasn’t insulting me, Bulla,” Marron paused to let out another laugh, “Dick is an outmoded term for a detective.” _

_ “Oh,” Bulla’s face completely lost its angry expression and she blushed, “Sorry, Trunks,” she mumbled.  _

_ He merely ruffled her hair while Bulla tried to swat his hands away, “Hey, I would do the same if I thought someone was verbally abusing Marron.” Marron couldn’t help but be touched by that sentiment from her childhood friend and she sent a smile his way. _

_ “It seems you may have had company last night?” Marron asked Trunks, playing his guessing game. _

_ “Was it Opal, Amy, or Ruby? Can’t remember,” Trunks winked. “Maybe you can use your detective skills to help me find out.” _

_ “You’re so gross,” Bulla told her brother in disgust. “Aren’t you tired of being a complete bum?” _

_ “Nah, I’m a trillionaire playboy,” he said casually, completely unbothered by his little sister’s accusation, but he did turn to leave the company of the two girls. Maybe he wasn’t so unaffected as he tried to appear. “Keep it quiet, would you?” he called out over his shoulder. _

_ Bulla’s eyes followed Trunks as he retreated to his room, presumably to sleep off the hangover, or mope. _

_ “Hey Marron...do...you….?” Bulla hesitated, and dropped her question. _

_ “Do I what?” Marron was curious as to what Bulla was getting it at. Curiosity was in her nature, hence why she wanted to become a detective. _

_ “Like Trunks? Or do you like Goten more?” Marron hadn’t been expecting that but she had a feeling she knew why Bulla was asking. _

_ “Why do you ask? Don’t worry, I know Goten is yours,” Marron teased. Try as she might, Bulla wasn’t too adept at hiding her underlying lifelong infatuation with her brother’s best friend, though it seemed to be fading. _

_ “Ugh! Why do you have to bring that up? It’s totally embarrassing,” Bulla said annoyed crossing her arms.  _

_ “He never held it against you or teases you about it like Trunks does,” Marron pointed out, “He’s always been a total sweetheart.” Bulla’s head snapped in Marron’s direction looking her in the eye. _

_ “So it’s Goten you like?” she asked somewhat sharply, giving herself away. Marron could tell that despite her best efforts, Bulla still couldn’t help but get jealous over Goten. Marron didn’t have the heart to tell Bulla she and Goten had actually gone on a date last year but the chemistry hadn’t been there for either of them. _

_ “Ha, no,” Marron could only straight out deny, there wasn’t much to elaborate on. “That would be kind of awkward considering you’re going to marry him and all,” Marron teased yet again. _

_ “Have one little crush on a guy and it follows you around for life,” Bulla said dramatically.  _

_ “Don’t worry onion baby, no one actually took your crush on Goten seriously, except for maybe ChiChi,” Marron waved her hand around dismissively. “What brought on this line of questioning?” _

_ “I think Trunks needs a good woman to keep him in line.” Marron nearly choked. She needed to brush up on her detective skills, that is so not where she thought Bulla was heading. _

_ “And you think that woman would be me?” Marron nearly screeched, losing her cool. _

_ “Well have you ever done...it?” Bulla said the last part in a whisper. Marron’s eyes bugged out. That was not something she expected though she could admit it was a natural question to come from a twelve year old girl. Marron very much saw Bulla as the little sister she never had and she guessed Bulla wanted to make it official. _

_ “Do you think that’s a requirement for getting with Trunks?” Marron joked, trying to distance herself and keep it light. _

_ Bulla giggled, “I don’t know Marron, but I’d rather have you marry Trunks than any of those other girls.” _

_ “Trunks doesn’t seem like the marrying kind, I don’t think you need to worry about him marrying any of those girls,” Marron said dismissively. _

_ “True, but what about you? Have you done it?” Bulla leaned over to her in anticipation of juicy gossip. Marron didn’t want to answer. _

_ “Why are you asking me this?” Marron dropped all semblance of being Bulla’s friend and went into full authoritarian adult mode, but Bulla wasn’t intimidated. Of course, when your first babysitter is the god of destruction that you can turn into a puddle, you really had no reason to be afraid. _

_ “The kids at school say Teddy in the ninth grade has already done it with her boyfriend, Tank,” Bulla whispered as if there were gossip hounds everywhere. _

_ “And what does that have to do with you?” Bulla was only twelve, she can’t be thinking of having sex already, she freaked out over a boy walking her home. _

_ “We all have to do it sometime,” Bulla shrugged as if it were obvious. _

_ “Um, no you don’t HAVE to do it sometime, you do it because you want to,” Marron scolded Bulla’s choice of words. _

_ “Do you have personal experience?” Bulla asked cheekily.  _

_ Marron ignored her, “Is Jack pressuring you into something?”  _

_ “No, you can see for yourself,” Bulla showed her the messages sent between them and it was all fairly innocent. “So tell me, have you done it?” _

_ Marron internally debated, should she tell Bulla the truth? Was it her responsibility to guide her? What would Bulma and Vegeta think? Probably nothing, they took a very hands off approach to parenting. Marron cared about Bulla a lot, so much so she gave up her first date to comfort her, even went to Goten to yell at him. No one else close to her was going to give Bulla the sex talk.  _ This is what Bulma is paying you for. _ Marron let out a deep breath. _

_ “Okay, my first time was two years ago when I was nineteen,” Marron began. Bulla was as attentive as Marron had ever seen her, “And I know you’re going to get a lot of conflicting information and there’s going to be pressure to have sex before you’re ready, and I can’t tell you what to do but just make sure you want to and absolutely trust and love the guy—or girl, if you find yourself going that way—and you’ll have a wonderful experience.” That sounded lame to Marron’s ears but it was the truth and she had no better words. _

_ “Did you love and trust your guy?” Bulla asked eagerly. _

_ Marron couldn’t help the smile that came to her face, “Yup.” It was a fond memory for her, he had been so sweet and she had never felt so close to anyone before. _

_ “What happened to him? Why aren’t you together?” Bulla prodded. _

_ Marron sighed, “Both of us are too independent and stubborn.” _

* * *

Monday 

“Is this right?” Goten pointed to a math problem on his homework.

“Almost, you forgot to factor in the four.” Bulla said absentmindedly as she did her own homework.

Goten nodded in understanding and went to correct his mistakes, but Bulla couldn’t focus on her algebra homework. She kept thinking how Goten had casually called her his girlfriend, no hesitation or embarrassment, he was proud. 

It brought her Garter flashbacks, he had dumped her when he found out she wasn’t on the same page as him. Would Goten do the same when he found out she didn’t share his feelings? If she could only hold out a little longer, until it was time to correct his age mistake, they might never need to address it.

Goten stopped what he was doing and looked right at her, “What’s on your mind?”

“How do you know there’s something on my mind?” Bulla said pretending to be focused on her homework.

“You’re doing your homework pretty slow and you usually rush so we can get to the fun part of our weekday get togethers,” Goten smirked at her. Bulla rolled her eyes at him. “You can talk to me you know, like you talk with Pan,” Goten said, looking sincerely at her.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you start?” Bulla retorted somewhat nastily. Goten was so not her confidant, sure they talked about things but always kept it light at Goten’s insistence.

“Where did that come from?” Goten looked at her puzzled.

“How do you expect me to open up to you when you won’t do the same?” Bulla realized that while they had been having fun together Goten never addressed the elephant in the room and shut her down whenever she brought it up. “Why do you always avoid the topic of your second shot at youth?”

Goten’s expression changed from that of open sweetness to the closed off slightly hostile look he had been giving her whenever she mentioned the dragon ball wish. 

“Would you stop with that? Things are finally good between us, why would you want to ruin that?” he told her in his sweet tone of voice, but she wasn’t going to fall for it.

“Oh, I’m the one ruining things?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I didn’t mean it that way,” Goten said tiredly.  _ How dare he! _

“So I’m being ridiculous now?” she felt her ire rise.

Goten slammed his book shut, “Maybe we should take a break.”

“Oh yeah, run away again, just like you did with your old life,” Bulla taunted.

“That wasn’t me!” Goten protested.

“It was you but you don’t want to admit it! There was nothing wrong with your old life! What were you running away from?” Bulla demanded to know. He started this whole thing, it was about time he opened up to her about his past, or rather future.

“None of your business!” Goten said, finally letting a bit of anger out. Much to her shame, Bulla found him way more attractive at that moment.

“None of my business?” Bulla was about to say something but she realized his outburst implied something, “You know something don’t you!” she accused.

Goten was silent for a bit avoiding her gaze.  _ Okay, lady boner is gone! _

“Did you really not lose your memories?” Bulla felt sickened at the thought. Was it a ruse all this time? She immediately felt dirty thinking Goten had been stringing her along this whole time.

“No! I mean yes!” Goten blurted. “Gah! Why is this difficult?” he slammed down his fists frustrated. “I really did lose my memories,” he insisted.

“But you know something of your old life.” It wasn’t a question. “More than what we saw at your apartment.” Bulla stood her ground. Goten didn’t reply, merely stared at her taking deep breaths.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Bulla began gathering her things. “How can you call me your girlfriend and not be honest with me?”

“Why are you always prying into my life?” Goten uncharacteristically sneered, “Nothing exciting for the Saiyan princess who has the world at her fingertips so she has to insert herself into my business?” Bulla felt like she had been slapped.

“Well if you feel like I’m prying, then maybe I’ll just see my way out of your life!” Bulla practically screamed throwing her books and pencils into her backpack rather haphazardly. “And you can consider whatever is between me and you, over.” Bulla swung her bag over her shoulders, leaving without waiting for a reply. 

Bulla let herself out of the Son house in a rush hoping Pan was home but Bulla couldn’t feel her energy nearby. Instead of making a call, Bulla flew home, not wanting to see anyone.

* * *

Tuesday

“Can you believe the nerve of him?!” Bulla practically screamed, she was so frustrated that she ended up tearing the pillow she was holding, getting stuffing everywhere. “Oh my god, I am so sorry, Sasshi,” Bulla apologized, immediately changing her tune. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It’s okay, Bulla,” the tall graceful girl said soothingly, “I may not be Capsule Corp rich but we’re rich enough to get Grandma ChiChi’s approval,” she joked. Bulla liked Sasshi, she was nice and not at all fazed by the Saiyan secret. Pan had done well.

“You’re not freaked out by the whole Saiyan thing?” Bulla asked her, “I mean I did just destroy your pillow.”

“No way! I love that my girlfriend can kick ass.” Sasshi snuggled further into Pan and planted a kiss on her forehead. “And she can take me flying! How rad is that?” Sasshi looked thoughtful for a moment. “Is that why you like Pan’s uncle, because he’s Saiyan like you?”

“Totally—”

“No way!” Bulla and Pan had said at the same time. Bulla fixed a glare on Pan while Pan just stuck her tongue out at her.

“C’mon, you’ve had a thing for Uncle Goten since forever,” Pan pointed out.

“That was just a childhood crush! Besides it was only because daddy said no human would ever be good enough for me, and little Bulla just naturally gravitated toward the strongest non-related male,” Bulla said snootily.  _ Pan wouldn’t get it, she’s only a quarter-Saiyan, and third class at that! _

“The strongest non-related male is my grandpa Goku,” Pan said casually but visibly recoiled from the hateful look Bulla gave her. If Bulla had another pillow in her hands, she’d have ripped it then and there. She didn’t want to be reminded of that man.

Pan quickly changed the subject. “But when we were little you never said you liked Uncle Goten because he was strong. It was always, ‘Goten is so nice.’ ‘Goten is so cute.’ ‘Goten is so funny.’” Pan said in a mocking high pitched tone.

“Whatever, that’s the case now, his strength is the only attractive thing to me.” Bulla insisted.

Pan suddenly had a coughing fit but it sounded like she was saying “Liar,” repeatedly.

“Anyway,” Sasshi interjected, “Tell us more about what went down with you and Goten.”

Bulla explained how he had noticed her distracted mood and asked her about it and she had used it as an opportunity to question his motives and whether or not he was keeping something from her. Then Bulla took a deep breath, “Then I told him if he wanted me to stay out of his life, I’d see my own way out and said we were over.”

Pan and Sasshi cringed. “While I think he should be honest with you, it seems you may have overreacted a bit in ending things,” Sasshi offered. “You probably should have stayed and talked things out more.”

“No way,” Pan disagreed, “Uncle Goten needs to go crawling back to her,” she gave a nod in solidarity to Bulla. “But I don’t know how it went from ‘You can talk to me.’ to ‘Tell me what you’re hiding.’ Seems a little extreme to me.”

“I know,” Bulla said dejectedly, slumping next to Pan on Sasshi’s bed. “But it’s a family tradition to overreact.”

* * *

Wednesday

“Why aren’t you at Goten’s?” Trunks asked her, stepping into her room uninvited.

“Geez, we aren’t attached at the hip, you know!” Bulla grumbled going back to her book. She didn’t want to talk about him. He hadn’t even called her to try to apologize or make amends, the audacity to leave her hanging! “Why aren’t you following around Marron?”

“You seem angry,” Trunks smiled at her teasingly, ignoring the Marron comment.

“Maybe because you decided to interrupt my reading?” Bulla shot back snidely.

“You can do that anytime,” Trunks pointed out, and pulled the book from her hands and tossing it behind him. “Want to go to your favorite restaurant? It’s your birthday week after all.”

“Can’t, I got banned,” Bulla couldn’t help the sadness creeping into her voice. It almost made her as sad as thinking about breaking up with Goten.  _ You can’t break up if you weren’t together.  _ ** _Shut up, brain!_ **

“Is that why you’ve moping around here the past two days?” Trunks said disbelievingly. “Because of  _ steaks?” _

“It’s more than just steaks!” Bulla passionately insisted. “The Big Southern Steakhouse is my family!”

“How many times do I have to tell you, Bulla?” Trunks scolded. “We’re your family!”

“You don’t get me like they get me! Filette, Porter, and T-Bone—”

“Oh yeah, and Kobe is always so happy to see you,” Trunks said sarcastically, “I think I saw him trying to tie a noose around his neck the last time I went with you.”

“He’s the outlier,” Bulla sniffed.

“What did you even do to get banned? They’re not even an all-you-can-eat,” Trunks asked incredulously.

“I became arrogant and entered their fifteen minute all you can eat steak challenge,” Bulla started. The owner hadn’t been happy when the amount she ate far exceeded the amount she had paid. Her stubborn pride had not taken the owner’s anger in stride and she yelled back at him. Turns out he was just as prideful as her and when she had come to her senses, no amount of zeni would make that man forgive her without an apology. 

“Daughter of Bulma and Vegeta? Damn right, you don’t back down,” Trunks said proudly. Bulla couldn’t help but smile, somehow her brother knew the right thing to say. 

* * *

Thursday

Chemise and the others were complaining how Bulla hadn’t wanted to hang out lately but they understood she was going through some things and didn’t want to bring the mood down for the group.

That’s why she was here in the gravity chamber, her and Goten’s number one fooling around spot, with her father, dodging his kicks and punches. He said he would beat the melancholia out of her. He too thought she was moping over being banned from the Big Southern Steakhouse and Bulma had to hold him back from destroying the place.

Beating her, he was, and Bulla was starting to get angry about it. It did help her forget about Goten.  _ Yeah, right.  _ And the fact that he still didn’t call for three whole days. Bulla was too focused on where her dad was going to strike for her to think about her Goten drama. So far Bulla was able to block Vegeta’s kicks and punches though she was exerting herself just to keep up.  _ Remember when you were in your dad’s position and Goten was like you right now?  _ Then her dad landed a punch on her cheek. He froze, terror in his eyes.  _ That’s going to leave a bruise!  _

“Motherfu—”

* * *

Bulla ended up having to fly her unconscious father to the Lookout so Dende could heal them both, her father’s energy was especially low and fading. 

Once she reached the top, she dumped her father and ran to the guardian of Earth. “Dende! Help me!” she screamed searching for the Namekian.

The green skinned alien rushed out of the temple in a state of worry, “What’s wrong, Bulla?

“Thank god—oh wait that’s you. Thank you for being here Dende.” Bulla spoke fervently. “My birthday party is tomorrow and look!” Bulla pointed to her face, “My dad gave me a bruise during training! Can you heal me?” What if Goten decided to stop by and saw her like that? She had to show him what he was missing, and she couldn’t do that all bruised up. She couldn’t let it be known someone landed a hit on her.

Dende looked confused, “Yes, that’s within my abilities but I thought you were here about your father. I can tell he’s not doing so well,” he pointed to the passed out Saiyan bleeding out on the Lookout’s tile.

“Oh him? Yeah, you can heal him too, I guess, but me first!” Bulla insisted.

* * *

Friday

This was precisely what she needed, a day off from school to spoil herself. It had become a tradition of sorts since Bulla’s thirteenth birthday that she and her mom would buy out West City’s most luxurious spa and pamper themselves before her big party. 

For the first time since her fight with Goten, she felt herself relax. She was wrapped up in a fluffy white robe, a skin clarifying mask on her face, and cucumber slices on her eyes, only half listening to her mom prattle on. This would be the one time they would be given their privacy from the staff. They just had to wait for the mask to do its thing. All they needed to do was relax.

“…college…boys…your age…” then Bulma became overwhelmed, “…my baby all grown up…” Bulla nodded along, she was used to this but then her mother said something that pulled in Bulla’s attention, “You and Goten look so much like me and Goku,” Bulma sighed. “I used to have the hugest crush on him,” she giggled.

“What!?” Bulla exclaimed, taking the cucumber slices off her eyes to look at her own mother, who laid unmoving in her own recliner. “You had a crush on that big dumb goof? What about daddy?”

“This was before I met Vegeta, but I never had a chance with Goku,” Bulma smiled, Bulla thought it looked kind of creepy to see a person with cucumber slices for eyes smile. 

“How can you say that mom? You look exactly like me and I’m a total babe,” Bulla said disbelievingly. 

“One,  _ you _ look like  _ me  _ and two, it was never my looks that were a problem,” Bulma replied smugly.

“Then why do you say you never had a chance?” Despite being grossed out, Bulla was curious. Bulla was only seventeen and she already kissed more boys than her mother had her whole life. She had only heard about Yamcha and her father, this was  _ new. _

Bulma sighed. “The day I realized how handsome he was, was the day he got married.”

“Huh? Why didn’t you make your move before then?” Bulla was confused. She didn’t know her mother when she was young, obviously, but she didn’t seem the shy type or hesitant to go after what she wanted.

“Cheering for me and Goku, are you? You wouldn’t exist.”

“Yeah and neither would Trunks, but I’ve never heard this story. Does daddy know?”

“That I liked Goku once upon a time? No way, that would only further inflame his passion towards Kakarot.”

“Gross mom.”

“I do wonder though...” after a shriek from Bulla, Bulma let out a laugh, “I’m just kidding, but I don’t think it would be smart to let your father know, do you?” Bulla shook her head, “You realize I still have cucumbers over my eyes and I can’t see you, right?”

“Heh, yeah, you’re right mom, daddy would throw a fit but when you keep telling someone they’re going to die by your hand, do you think it would make much of a difference?” Bulla pointed out.

Bulma laughed, “I suppose not.”

“Tell me mama, why didn’t you have a chance with Goku?”

“I really had no opportunity to go after him,” Bulma shrugged one shoulder where she laid. “I hadn’t seen him in years until he showed up at the twenty-third World Martial Arts Tournament,” Bulma began wistfully. “You probably don’t remember what Trunks and Goten looked like at fifteen but they still looked like eight year olds, it was much the same for Goku.

“I had always admired him for his heroism and selflessness, even at sixteen. Even though he wasn’t that much younger than me, I still saw him as a little kid. Yamcha was the handsome one, still is, I’d say.” Bulma got a wicked look on her cream covered face.

“Mo-om!” Bulla groaned. Bulma merely let out another laugh but continued.

“Anyway, I only had eyes for Yamcha which was understandable considering the only other unrelated males I hung out with were a talking pig, Krillin, and Master Roshi. There was Tien, but Launch fell head over heels for him, and who was I to interfere?

“Then Yamcha did the unforgivable! He left me for three years without so much as a letter or phone call!” Bulma scrunched her face in anger.

“Careful mom, that causes wrinkles.” Bulma immediately made her face impassive. 

“Goku spent three years at the Lookout being trained by Kami—that was Dende’s predecessor—and in that time he had a growth spurt.

“Then that’s when I saw him again, at the tournament. We had hardly recognized him but sure enough it was Son Goku looking like a total hunk. We barely said our hellos before the competitors were called to the preliminaries.

“The next time I saw Goku that day he was in the finals fighting a girl who withheld her name, the next thing I know the announcer said they were married!”

“That girl was ChiChi, wasn’t it?” Bulla said in realization.

“You’re damn right it was,” Bulma huffed, “There had been some misunderstanding that one time they had met as kids. I was there too but didn’t hear what was said. ChiChi said that Goku had promised to marry her all those years ago, and she thought they had been on the same page. It was a bit of a rude awakening for her when she realized Goku didn’t remember his promise, let alone her, but dumb Son-kun could never stand to disappoint anyone, and even though he had no idea what marriage was until that moment, he agreed to marry ChiChi citing the promise he had made.”

“That’s kind of sweet of him,” Bulla admitted, and it dawned on her what ChiChi had been hinting about being a naive eighteen year old.

“Well, it wasn’t for me,” Bulma couldn’t keep the ire from her voice, “Yamcha and I were frequently on and off and I often thought about how I might have had some stability with Goku,” Bulma sighed once again, “but I knew he was married and I would find my way back to Yamcha even if all we did was fight all the time. Then I met your father properly and you know the rest.”

“Do you still think about Goku?” Bulla couldn’t help but ask. This was all very illuminating for Bulla. She often wondered why her mom held Goku in such high regard and now she had her answer.

Bulma sighed, “Yes, but not often,” she paused, “and I wouldn’t change anything about the life I have now,” she said resolutely. “What about you, hon? Garter hasn’t been around in months, did you two have a falling out?”

_ Gee, mom. Now you notice.  _ “Garter and I have been over for a long time now, mom.”

“Oh, I’m sorry honey,” she said sincerely, “Do you want to talk about it? You’ve looked sad these past few days, is it because of that? Or is it really about the steakhouse?”

_ Did she just not hear me say it’s been over for a long time?  _ “No, it wasn’t Garter getting me down.”

“Then what’s wrong? You can’t go into seventeen on a low note,” Bulma prodded.

Bulla debated whether or not to be honest. While her mom could blow up, Bulla didn’t think her mom would get angry at her for the Goten situation.  _ Maybe just a half-truth.  _ “I was seeing someone, but he didn’t want to be honest with me so I ended things.”

“Would this someone happen to go by the nickname, Go-teen?” her mother said clearly, face still impassive.

“What? No!” Bulla tried to sound convincing.

“I suspected but you didn’t give me confirmation until you just admitted to seeing someone and the only person you’ve been hanging out with recently is Goten,” Bulma said smugly.

“Why do you think your father’s been creeping around the house when you guys are around? He’s been trying to catch you, nice job evading him by the way, we had a bet going.”  _ Damn, I played right into her hands. _

“Does everyone know?” Bulla moaned.

“Well ChiChi’s been calling me trying to negotiate a dowry but she’s been trying to do that since you were five.” Bulla wasn’t sure how she felt about that and remained silent. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Trunks or your father.”

“Why?”

“It’s none of their business as long as you’re staying safe. You still have all those contraceptives I sneak into your bathroom, don’t you? Wouldn’t want to end up knocked up like me and tied to a tempermental Saiyan for life.”

“Mom! I’m not even having sex! And we were never really even together anyway, and I thought you loved daddy.”

“Spending most of your days together indicated you’re together,” Bulma said airily. “I do love your dad, but I expected one thing and got something entirely different.” Bulla guessed her mother was thinking because she stayed silent for a bit, still expressionless. “The dragon balls are magical in more ways than one. They did bring your father to Earth, after all. You never know how well they can work out for someone,” she added. 

“Why are you being so cool about this? Doesn’t it worry you my paramour is really a twenty-nine year old man?” Bulla had to ask. If she was hearing things right, it sounded like she and Goten had her mom’s approval.

Bulma shrugged, “Even at twenty-nine, Goten is a gem but I don’t see why he has to age himself back. Pilaf and the gang didn’t.” Now that was the second time Bulla heard the Pilaf gang mentioned. 

“Did you know about Trunks and his old lady?” Bulla couldn’t help but giggle. Trunks’ girlfriend was practically ancient and he had no idea!

“Oh yeah,” Bulla could feel her mother’s energy noticeably rise—well, for her—“and I wanted to wring her neck when I found out. Not only did she try to kill me when I was sixteen but she broke my son’s heart. I’ll be happy if I never hear her name again,” Bulma was seething. Suddenly, Bulla didn’t find the Trunks story so amusing anymore.

“Then why aren’t you wary of me and Goten?” If Bulla had a heart, it would be broken once Goten went back to normal. Why wasn’t her mom worried about her?

“I know Goten and I knew Goten at sixteen, he’s the kind of kid every parent wishes their child would date, your father included,” Bulma said firmly. “He’s not hiding a sordid past, and he doesn’t have memories of being an adult,” Bulma said the last part contemptuously. “But you did say he wasn’t being honest with you? Is he hanging around other girls? I’ll kill him myself.” Bulma finished seriously.

“Woah, mom, chill out. No, it didn’t have anything to do with infidelity, but he won’t tell me why he doesn’t want to go back to his old life.”

“And you ended things over that?” There was no disdain only curiosity behind her mother’s words. 

“I needed him to get the point that I wasn’t going to be left in the dark,” Bulla said resolutely, digging her heels in.

“I mean I think it would be obvious why Goten doesn’t want to go back to being an adult,” Bulma said flippantly.

Bulla looked at her mother sharply. Her mask was starting to dry and was cracking, soon they’d be on to their massages and their private conversation would be over, she had to ask now, “What’s so obvious?”

“As soon as sixteen year old Goten showed up in my living room and laid eyes on you, there was no going back for him.”

* * *

By the time Bulma and Bulla made it back from their spa day, the party was already in full swing. The lawn was filled with buffet tables and wet bars, there were even plenty of activities for guests to engage in, including rides and carnival games.

Bulla made her rounds greeting her guests which included practically everyone from school, Pan and Sasshi, and only  _ some  _ of her mom’s friends. Roshi and Oolong weren’t there,  _ Thank god _ , neither were Buu and Mr. Satan, much to Bulla’s relief. 

Bulla wasn’t sure if she should greet Marron who was in a deep, intense conversation with Videl at the moment but once Marron felt Bulla’s eyes on her, she motioned her over and gave her a big hug. 

“I can’t believe you’re seventeen already. If I close my eyes I can see that little baby with a single spike of blue hair, that’s why everyone calls you—“

“Yeah, yeah, onion baby. I know,” Bulla laughed.

“When is Goten getting here?” Marron asked Videl.  _ Ugh, she totally knows what happened, but I’m not going to fall for it. _

“I’m not sure if he’s even coming, he’s been a little mopey this week,” Videl replied.

Marron cast a furtive look at Bulla but Bulla ignored her and felt her heart sink a little bit. When she last saw him, she had said they were over and if he didn’t bother to reach out via phone, she reasoned she couldn’t expect him to put that aside to celebrate her birthday. Bulla excused herself from the two women and went to say hi to the other guests. She spotted a tall man with light blue skin and a white coif walking towards her. Bulla wasted no time in making her way to him.

“How is my favorite mortal from universe seven?” Whis greeted her looking down to her from his great height.

“Does that mean I’m not your favorite mortal across all twelve universes?” Bulla asked mischievously. 

The tall, composed angel blustered. 

“Relax, Whis, the girl is too impish for her own good.” A deep regal voice made itself known and for the first time Bulla gazed upon her universe’s god of destruction.

Bulla could only slowly blink at the thin, hairless anthropomorphic  _ cat _ .  _ This is Beerus?  _ Frankly, she thought the guy who scared the shit out of her father would be jacked and more intimidating. He was short enough that Bulla could look him in the eye with little effort. Bulla thought if she waved a stuffed mouse on a stick in front of him, Beerus would get on his back and swat at it. She couldn’t even feel his energy,  _ Is he magic or something? _

“I thought you would be bigger,” Bulla didn’t bother keeping her thoughts to herself, her tone disappointed. “You don’t look like you could destroy me.”

“Oh ho! Destroy  _ you?  _ Never!” Whis laughed, “I dare say Lord Beerus has never been so endeared to a mortal.” Beerus only gave her an enigmatic smile at Whis’ comment.

“What are you talking about? We’ve never even met,” Bulla openly displayed her confusion.

“Of course you wouldn’t remember having been an infant at the time,” Whis said vaguely. Bulla wanted to ask him to elaborate but her mother and nervous father appeared.

“Beerus was your first babysitter,” her mother chimed in. “And remember that gold choker you used to wear? Beerus gave that to you too, it was his, in fact.” 

Bulla had to double take at the god of destruction, they had never told her any of this, if Beerus liked her so much, why was her dad fidgeting so much?

“And here’s another gift for you,” Beerus said. Whis waved his staff conjuring up a ball of light which descended into Bulla’s outstretched hands.

Once the light dissipated, Bulla got a good look at the object. It was a horn of some sort?

“Uh, thanks?” Bulla smiled unsure at the giant cat.

“It’s the tusk of a Loxodonta. It’s priceless considering they were hunted to extinction for their tusks. It’s a beautiful decoration. Many on the galactic black market would kill for a tenth of what you have,” Beerus said somewhat sinisterly and stared her right in the eye, but she wouldn’t be intimidated.

“Is this the animal you wished back?” Bulla looked him back right in the eye, pressing the offending item to Beerus’ chest, but he just stood there impassively, his hands still folded behind his back. “Did you just kill it to give me it’s tusk?” Bulla was somewhat flattered Beerus would go through that trouble but she was appalled by the thought of killing an animal for ornamentation. “That’s so wrong.”

“It’s not wrong if you use the whole animal,” Beerus spoke darkly and started picking at his teeth, completely unbothered by Bulla’s protest. He merely gave Bulla another mysterious smile and headed for the buffet tables with Whis in tow.

_ Okay I can see why dad is afraid of that guy. _

“He’s not going to destroy anyone here, is he?” Bulla turned to her mother.

“No way! I told him how disappointed you’d be and Whis promised to use his temporal do-over if things get out of hand.”

“What?!”

“Nothing! Why don’t I take that tusk from you, hmm? Go off and join your friends,” her mother said dismissively. Still, Bulla took her advice.

Bulla looked around the party hoping her senses were failing her but no, they were as sharp as ever, Goten wasn’t here. She sensed out further trying to locate him, hoping he might be on his way, but no, he was staying put at his home on Mount Paozu. 

Having greeted everyone, Bulla made her way to her West City friends who were helping themselves to the unmonitored booze. Bulla had some herself but it didn’t do much with her metabolism. Still, she felt herself loosening up and ended up letting it slip that Pan was Mr. Satan’s granddaughter which Pan didn’t appreciate since now she was being inundated with requests for her grandpa’s autograph. 

Bulla had a good laugh at Pan’s predicament but she felt melancholic once again, remembering Goten wasn’t there. Then she spotted someone she didn’t expect though she had pretty much invited her whole high school and not many turned down the invitation. Her first love, Jack, was hanging around some of his friends by one of the buffet tables. It had been a while since they spoke.

* * *

Bulla’s back was slammed against the wall as Jack crashed his lips against hers once more. The lack of Goten’s presence hurt and right now she just wanted to feel better in any way she could. 

Jack pinned her against a wall far from the main events of the party. Bulla wrapped her legs around his waist creating friction between them. Bulla was feeling good at the moment and thinking about the contraceptive shot she had taken a few weeks ago just in case she and Goten had gotten themselves carried away. 

Was she going to go all the way with Jack? She wasn’t sure but for the moment she just wanted to focus on the pleasure he was bringing her.

Jack’s hands expertly caressed her breasts eliciting a moan from the half Saiyan girl. “If you liked that wait until you see what else I’ve got up my sleeve,  _ princess.”  _ That jolted Bulla out of the moment. She couldn’t help but think about Goten, he hadn’t even tried to call her or fight for her and that had hurt more than anything. Goten was the only one to call her princess, and he was the only one she wanted calling her princess, she realized. Jack wouldn’t do at all, the only boy she wanted was Goten.

Bulla stepped back from Jack and put her palm to his chest putting distance between them. “I’m sorry, Jack. I just can’t do this,” she confessed. Not waiting for a reply, she walked away from a befuddled and probably frustrated Jack and made it back to the party. It looked like most of the guests had left even Lord Beerus and Whis, she couldn’t feel her dad or Goku anywhere.  _ They probably hitched a ride with Whis to Beerus’ planet.  _

Bulla spent the rest of the evening saying goodbye to the stragglers and keeping an eye on her brother. Trunks had somehow roped Gohan into a drinking contest and now Pan was carrying her passed out father over her shoulder rather effortlessly. Now, it was up to Bulla to make sure her own brother made it to his own bed.  _ This party was a bit of a bust, maybe eighteen will be better. _

Bulla walked over to a slumped over Trunks in a lawn chair who was visibly struggling to stay awake. She was about to pick him up when she sensed a familiar energy. “Let me,” a familiar voice from behind her said. He maneuvered himself around her to pick up his best friend, bridal style.

Trunks stirred, “Hmm…hey Goten,” he sleepily said and buried his face in Goten’s chest before falling asleep.  _ Do I even want to know?  _

“Goten,” she was surprised but not angry. “What are you doing here?” she asked following him to Trunks’ room.

“I hope you don’t mind. I waited until the party was over,” he said over his shoulder. “I didn’t want to ruin your birthday party.” 

“The party was a bust anyway,” Bulla muttered thinking back to Jack’s kiss. “But I’m not mad. I’m glad to see you,” she admitted.

They made it to Trunks’ room in silence. Bulla opened the door for Goten and she couldn’t help but laugh at the image of Goten carrying Trunks, it looked like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold. Goten deposited Trunks gently on his bed and tucked him in. For a second, Bulla thought Goten was going to give Trunks a kiss on the forehead but instead he merely left the room.

“You know, if I recall correctly, there are many nights like this in your future,” Bulla joked, but to her disappointment, Goten didn’t even crack a smile. He never liked it when his future was mentioned. “Do you want to talk somewhere private?” Goten nodded.

Bulla grabbed him by the hand, appreciating the feel of having his hand in hers again, and led him to her bedroom, but he didn’t walk in and instead stayed in the doorway.

“Last time I was in here you threw me out. I’m really glad you didn’t have anything heavier than pillows on you,” he smiled wryly. “I heard what happened to Vegeta.”

Bulla rolled her eyes and grabbed Goten by the arm and pulled him into her room, shutting the door behind her. She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her hoping Goten would join her. 

The bed sank where Goten sat, it only served to push them closer than was intended. It was silly of Bulla to be shy around Goten. After all, the guy had seen her naked but still she felt anxious, not wanting to screw up things between them further. He probably even smelled Jack on her.

“So why did you wait until the party was over to see me, Goten?” she was the first to speak. Wasn’t that always the way with them?

“I didn’t want to upset you, but I did promise you a birthday present.” Goten pulled out an envelope from his jacket and handed it to Bulla.

It was a rather plain white envelope with no writing on the exterior, “What is it?” Bulla asked puzzled.

“Open it and you’ll find out,” Goten said with a twinkle in his eye.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Bulla ripped open the sealed envelope and quickly unfolded the letter inside. She quickly read the contents and stared amazed at Goten.

“You got my ban from The Big Southern Steakhouse rescinded?” Bulla couldn’t believe it, “Not even revealing my family connections could do that! How—?”

“How did a poor backwoods mountain hillbilly do what the rich, brilliant, princess of all Saiyans couldn’t do?”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes.” She had been crushed when she’d been banned from her favorite restaurant. Goten did the most to console her at the time, trying to find another steakhouse with steaks just as big but it wasn’t the same.

“Turns out the owner is a huge Mr. Satan fan and I got him to do a free endorsement for the restaurant. No need to apologize about insulting his mother anymore. I even got Kobe to vouch for you.”

Bulla had to let out a giggle, “Surly Kobe?”

“The guy’s a big sap. He couldn’t help but intervene when I said it was for love.”

“Love between a girl and her steaks?” Bulla asked hopefully.

Goten let out a wry laugh, “Well that too.” 

_ I’ve been lying to everyone.  _ Bulla had been insisting she didn’t love Goten, let alone have feelings for him but as she looked into his earnest eyes, she couldn’t help the affection for him that flowed through her. She’d been in denial for a long time, protecting herself against the relationship that had an expiration date, but she didn’t feel like fighting it anymore.

“Oh god, I’ve missed you.” Bulla pulled Goten’s head to her own and kissed him desperately. Goten returned her kiss with enthusiasm but he was the one who broke them apart.

“I’ve missed you too, Bulla, but don’t toy with me. I don’t think I can stand losing you a third time.” Bulla knew she couldn’t guarantee that but she wanted him desperately.

“I don’t want to lose you either,” she admitted, “This week was hard for me too, but we’ll need to talk about your future eventually.”

“Right,” Goten conceded, “Eventually.” He then went to kiss Bulla and she reciprocated eagerly. 

When they came up for air Bulla spoke, “Your gift was good but I want something different from you for my birthday,” she decided.

“Well, it’s too late, you should have spoken up before. It’s almost midnight and I can’t possibly find you something else before the day is over,” Goten replied nonplussed.

“Don’t be stupid, Goten. What I want is already in this bedroom.” Bulla pointedly looked below his waist.

“What?” Goten looked at her incredibly puzzled but he followed her gaze down to his crotch.  _ Wait for it.  _ “Oh!” realization dawned on Goten.  _ There it is.  _ “But it’s your birthday, not mine.”

“Guess I’m sharing my present with you this year,” Bulla said trying to sound seductive but ended up laughing instead. Her laugh was soon swallowed up by Goten’s lips on her own. 

* * *

Bulla stared at the ceiling and let out a breath. She had done it, she wasn’t a virgin anymore, and she guessed neither was this version of Goten. She smiled and turned to a slightly abashed Goten. 

“It’s okay, Goten, you can get better.”


	9. Hello, It's Me

Goten was almost too excited to go to sleep. He was leaving fifteen behind, that awkward year when he _ finally _started to look his age. For so long he looked like a seven year old and kids at school would constantly be asking him if he was in the right building. Fortunately, he grew and was as tall as his dad now and his voice had finally deepened too. That helped a lot with the girls but it was a long frustrating road to get there. At least Trunks went through the same. Sometimes it sucked to be a Saiyan, he couldn't help but think.

Nevertheless, he was excited. His birthday was on a weekend this year which meant his party coincided with his exact birthday date. It was remarkable he was even having a party. Their tiny house on Mount Paozu was so remote, there was no way the other kids from Orange Star High would make it out there, but Gohan offered the mansion Mr. Satan had bought him and Videl as a wedding present, and Mr. Satan was even coming, while Gohan promised Saiyaman would not.

Goten didn't even think he had ever had a birthday party with friends from school before. Excitement was an understatement, he kept fidgeting and tossing and turning. Eventually, his eyelids began to feel heavy, and drowsiness took hold.

* * *

One moment Goten was in his bed struggling to go to sleep, next he found himself looking up at a bright blue sky where round stones were revolving and floating in midair—_Were those the dragon balls?— _ had rapidly scattered to parts unknown. He noticed he wasn't alone and looked to his father who had a familiar bemused expression. Did his father instantly transmit him here? But why? Goten looked down onto himself and noted he wasn't in his pajamas anymore. Were these even his clothes? They were ill-fitting and not his style at all. Dress pants and a button down shirt? Did his mom dress him in his sleep? _ Again? _

Goten looked around taking in his surroundings, they were definitely still on Mount Paozu. Did his dad gather the dragon balls for Goten for his birthday? Or did Goku sense someone else gathering the dragon balls? His dad must have transported them when he felt someone around. They must have been too late. Goten only hoped the wish maker wished for something harmless.

"Goten?" Goku, asked blinking cluelessly at him, "What did you do?"

Now Goten felt as confused as his dad looked. "Me? You didn't bring us here with your instant transmission?" Goten looked around, finally spotting a sight usually unseen on Mount Paozu, a classic red convertible in perfect condition. Goten had to do a double take. Did his dad really get him a car for his birthday? He couldn't even drive yet but he was giddy nonetheless.

"Woah, dad! You used the dragon balls to get me a car for my birthday?" Goten walked over to the car admiring it. _ This is going to be a total babe magnet. _ Goten didn't waste time getting into the driver's seat and taking in the interior, everything was so pristine and unblemished. Shenron had good tastes. "What did you do with the wishes, pops?" Goten asked disinterestedly while he held onto the steering wheel, making _ vroom, vroom _noises, imagining taking it out on the open road with a cute girl in the passenger's seat.

"Goten, that's not your car—no well, I guess now it is but—" Goten looked to his father who looked pained trying to find the right words. "You made the wish," he blurted out.

"_ Vroo— _ What?" Goten stopped his sound effects long enough to refute his father. "I didn't make any wishes," Goten said dismissively. He saw the keys in the ignition. _ Time to turn this baby on and try out the radio. _

"But you're not a kid anymore!"

"That's right!" Goten was glad someone was finally acknowledging it now, he had even started shaving. "I'm a man, and this is a man's car," he declared.

"No—I—" Goku slumped to the ground and clutched his head.

"You know how to drive, don't you, pop? Can you teach me?" Goten said, ignoring his father's distress. _ He'll be fine, he's just thinking too hard. _

Goku stood up abruptly, "What is ChiChi going to do me?!" he stood up in a panic and rushed toward Goten, reaching out to him.

In the blink of an eye Goten found himself indoors in someone's living room. It looked familiar but he wasn't sure if he had been here before. Noting the structure of the room, he realized he was at Trunks' house. _ Must have redecorated. _He looked to the four people in the room who were looking at him slack jawed.

Had it really been so long since he had seen Bulma? She looked older than usual. Vegeta looked as surly as ever though Goten wished he had a camera to capture the astonished look on the normally stoic Saiyan prince's face. Then there was a cute blonde lady. _ Well hello! _ Eventually, he noticed the other man in the room who had just burst into laughter. _ Was that? No it couldn't be! _

"Trunks?!" Goten blurted out. "When did you come back from the future?" Trunks abruptly stopped laughing. No one answered but just looked at each other. An overwhelming sense of dread began to overtake Goten.

Finally, Vegeta broke the silence, "Kakarot, explain!" he barked addressing Goten's father.

"He wished himself younger with the dragon balls," Goku said rather rapidly and pointed to Goten, like he was trying to deflect blame onto his son.

"I did what now?" Goten felt shaky. Trunks and Bulma looked older, their house wasn't the same, and his dad said he wished himself younger. "Wait, what year is it?" Goten was beginning to feel faint. He managed to make his way to the nearest seat and plunked himself down.

"Age 796," the pretty blonde lady answered, "It's me, Marron, by the way," she smiled faintly at him.

Goten's world came crashing down on him in an instant. He wanted to believe that this was all a prank orchestrated by Trunks for his sixteenth birthday but when he looked at the woman who called herself Marron. He couldn't help but believe she was right. He could see the perfect blend of Krillin and Eighteen in her face, she couldn't be anyone else. He looked to Trunks, this wasn't his future counterpart. It was his best friend, older than he remembered him. The Trunks he knew would never wear a tie.

Goku grabbed Bulma by the shoulders and started shouting. "What are you going to do, Bulma!? ChiChi is going to kill me! And she's going to kill you! And everyone else in this room!" he was practically hysterical with panic. Vegeta pulled the agitated Saiyan off his wife and gave him a harsh shove to the ground.

"Hands off my wife, Kakarot!" Vegeta growled. The shove seemed to calm his dad down somewhat and he stood next to Goten, who was thankful to be sitting down. There's no way his legs would have supported him at this moment. It didn't help that Goten felt a strong energy coming their way, what was it now? Frieza making his annual "I'm going to kill you all and destroy this planet," bluff he made every once in a while? _ No, it doesn't feel like Frieza, not slimy, creepy, and cold enough, no this is strong yet pleasant, warm even. _

Then there was the sound of a door opening and closing making everyone's attention divert to whomever just walked through the door.

_ Oh what a sight! _ Goten was certain his heart stopped beating for a moment and he forgot how to breathe. All his senses were muted except for those that were focused on the girl before him. Goten noticed she had a long strong body but his attention was focused on her gorgeous face, unblemished glowing skin that looked soft to the touch, pouty lips covered in gloss, long waist length blue hair tucked behind her ears with a headband, but it was her wide blue eyes that drew him in. Those incredible blue eyes glanced at him for a beat, _ or was it two?, _ and Goten was certain cupid's arrow struck him in the heart through his impenetrable skin.

Now he understood why the guys in old movies had tunnel vision and began to hear music when they saw their love interests for the first time.

The music in his head must have overpowered his ears because he saw the girl's lips moving but didn't register anything at all that she was saying. The girl then gave her greetings to Marron and his father, before stopping in front of him with an outstretched hand that he eagerly accepted, looking at her in awe. _ Her skin is so soft and she smells so good. I don't ever want to let go. _Goten reached out his senses to get a closer read of her energy and it felt like a rush of endorphins to his system, but there was something familiar about it…

"I'm Bulla," the angel spoke. Goten nearly screamed but held it in and dropped her hand like it was on fire. _ Trunks' little sister?! What is wrong with you, Goten?! _His inner voice practically barked at him.

"_ You're _ Bulla?!" he said in disbelief. Now he knew they weren't playing a joke on him. But he wondered why he hadn't seen the resemblance when she immediately walked in, she had always looked so much like Bulma, but the look she was giving him right now was pure Vegeta and he swallowed nervously.

"Yes, I'm Bulla. What have you heard?" she asked with that Vegeta-like expression on her face. _ Nothing at all. _He wanted to answer but just then Trunks began to laugh again. Goten watched her, still taking in all the details of her. He couldn't help it. Not even the fact that he had last seen her at age three was enough to keep seeing her as a toddler as opposed to the teenage girl in front of him. They were probably even the same age now.

Goten merely stayed silent, watching the now teenaged Bulla be filled in on the situation. He had to admit he was appalled she thought he had a bastard son. _ What the hell have I been up to the past thirteen years? _ He noted Bulla had made herself comfortable and tried to remain unnoticed. _ You'll never escape my notice, _ Goten internally sighed, _ You're being so creepy right now, dude. _They all looked to Goten to explain the wish but Goten could only say what he knew which wasn't much, the one who seemed to know the details was his father.

Goten was just as keen as everyone else to find out what happened to him, he was just as clueless as the rest of them. Much to his disappointment, Bulla laughed along with her brother when his father finished the story. _ A flippant comment and I'm sixteen again?! _

Goten didn't really have time to take any of this in but next thing he knew the adults were brainstorming topics. _ Take me to Namek? No, I don't want to go back! _ Goten's inner thoughts protested. _ Then I'll be too old for her! _He thought as he went back to stare at the Saiyan princess.

"How would you feel about this, Goten?" That rhapsodic voice cut through the tension in the room. Goten was incredibly thankful for Bulla's interruption. He hadn't even processed the whole situation and yet here everyone was, making all the decisions for him. Goten looked to Bulla gratefully, and she rewarded him with a small closed mouth smile. _ I wonder how radiant she looks with a full fledged smile just for me. _Goten couldn't help but get ridiculously sappy, good thing no one here could read his thoughts.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement that Goten should go home and think on things for a while but Goten still felt miserable and wasn't even trying to keep it off his face. _ They expect me to want to change back immediately. _

Without warning, Bulla bopped Trunks on the head rather hard, so hard that Trunks actually winced in pain. If he hadn't felt it before, he certainly felt it now. It was like he had been hit by a lightning bolt. _ She's perfect. _ He looked at her not bothering to keep the amazement off his face. Much to his horror, he began to feel _ little Goten _ twitch.

_ Oh no! _Now he really needed to get home.

Trunks tried to reassure him that being twenty-nine was better than being sixteen and Goten was thinking maybe he was right that is until Bulla deigned to say something again, "Damn Trunks, you didn't have to let Goten find out about your relationship this way. I think it would have been better in a more intimate setting, you know, without your family around," she said completely serious.

"What?! No!" Goten exclaimed, saying the first thoughts that came to him out loud, jumping out of his chair. He felt his face drain completely of color. _ Me and Trunks? I think I'm going to be sick. No, there's no way! _ "I'm not gay!" he turned his attention to Bulla. _ I'm available! _ He wanted her to know but then again him being in a relationship with Trunks wouldn't be the most shocking revelation of today. "At least I don't think so, are we Trunks?" But before his mischievous best friend could give an answer, Marron intervened and reassured him it was one of Bulla's jokes. Trunks backed Marron up but Bulla said nothing but gave him a devious smirk. _ How can she be so nice and then pull a 180? This girl is making my head spin. _

Goten gave shaky smiles to both Marron and Trunks but he really needed to get home, all of this was too much to process and he'd rather not have a complete breakdown in front of five people, one of whom was essentially a stranger, _ One I would rather not make a fool of myself in front of. _

Just when Goten thought he was in the clear, his dad lifted him up and put him on his shoulders. "Dad?! What are you doing? Put me down!" _ This is so embarrassing! And even Bulla saw! _ Luckily, Goku put him down with no argument, just a little disappointment. Goten actually _ did _like being carried on his dad's shoulders but ideally not in front of a pretty girl, though that was an understatement.

In the blink of an eye Goten found himself in his familiar kitchen. _ At least this hasn't changed. _ He looked around taking in the, thankfully, unchanged kitchen, until he noticed the blinking eyes of his mother…and his brother…and his sister-in-law… _ and shit! Is that Pan? _

"Uh hi?" Goten awkwardly waved to the familiar faces at the kitchen table. The first one to react was his mother who promptly burst into tears and slapped his father.

"Goku! How could you?!" she wailed and buried her face in her hands crying.

"I'm sorry, ChiChi." Goku went over to comfort his mother, the slap not even registering on the old warrior's face.

"Haven't I been good to you, Goku?!" She raged, "How old are you?" she turned to Goten, fire in her eyes.

Goten gulped but answered nonetheless, "Um, sixteen?"

"Sixteen?!" A red aura surrounded his mother, "You've kept this from me for _ sixteen years?!" _she screamed while his dad cowered. "I bet it was that Universe 6 Saiyan girl!" she sharply turned Goten, addressing him once again, "Tell me boy, who is your mother?!" she demanded.

What was his mom going on about? He didn't think she would be this upset.

"Please, ChiChi we can reverse this all with the dragon balls," Goku pleaded. Then out came the frying pan and Goku went down.

"_ You're going to wish him out of existence?! _" she shrieked and made to strike him again, but Gohan interfered and took the cast iron pan from their mother's hands.

"Mom, I think that boy is Goten," he told her calmly enough. Immediately, the red aura around ChiChi dissipated and tears welled up in her eyes once more as she looked at him.

She ran to him and took his face in her hands scrutinizing his features and gasped in shock. "It _ is _ you! My baby! Goten!" she broke out in a smile and hugged him fiercely. It seemed like one crazy catastrophe after another and Goten still hadn't had the chance to process anything, but being enveloped in his mom's arms made some of the tension disappear. ** _This_ ** _ , at least, feels familiar. _

"But what happened?" she asked calmly looking at Goten in concern. She turned to Goku, "_ You _said you were gathering the dragon balls to finally bring King Kai back to life," she said accusingly, "Why is Goten sixteen again?"

Goku reiterated a condensed version of the story for the second time today and just like Marron had, Gohan suggested the use of the Namekian dragon balls, if not to wish Goten back, at least to give him back his memories. But his mother angrily shouted out, "I forbid it!" and Gohan cowered, though Videl took over in trying to convince his mother.

_ But I don't want to be twenty-nine, not in body or mind! _He wanted to protest, but he didn't need to because his father spoke instead, "You see about that…" Goku explained how when he had been training with Whis, Beerus had woken up with a craving for Loxodonta which was extinct and made Goku go to Namek to wish for some. Goku began to laugh nervously, "So you see, we can't wish him back for a few months."

Everyone in the room looked to ChiChi. The air was sucked out of the room as they waited for her outburst but it never came. Instead, she just clapped her hands together in joy and guided Goten to the table. She started piling up a plate for him, "My growing little boy needs all he can eat so he can grow big and strong!" she hummed merrily as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

The only other person at the house who was as calm as his mother, was his father who was eating up a storm, seemingly relieved ChiChi took it well. ChiChi looked to the rest of people at the table, "Why aren't any of you eating?" she asked concerned.

"Grandma, Uncle Goten is magically sixteen again and you're being way too cool about it," Pan said disbelievingly.

"There's nothing we can do about it so we may as well have a nice family dinner," ChiChi declared. "Besides it's been way too long since all of us were together like this!" ChiChi said excitedly, "Oh but I wish Bulla were here, then it would be perfect!" she gushed.

"Wait—what?" Goten spoke his thoughts aloud once again.

"Bulla is grandma's favorite," Pan said dismissively and started eating instead with a bit of a sour expression on her face. Her parents followed her lead and said nothing more, seemingly not wanting to disturb the calm that overtook ChiChi.

He began to feel guilty about thinking of Bulla in_ that _ way _ . She was a toddler! No wait, she's not really three, you're really twenty-nine, _ Goten had to remind himself. But he didn't _ feel _twenty-nine. It was like he was stuck in the future when all he wanted to do was return to the past. Even though the food and his surroundings were the same, at the same time everything changed radically. Everyone was older, if Goten did his math right, his little niece was now older than himself, his best friend was in a completely different stage of his life, and innocent little Bulla who barely knew how to talk when he last saw her, was a complete vixen. He'd like to take her out in his new car. When Goten thought about that car, he remembered it was in a field nearby. They had to go over and get it!

"Well Goten, if you're sixteen again, and there's nothing we can do about it for a few months, we're going to have to get you enrolled in school," ChiChi spoke up.

"Huh?" he looked to his mom dumbly with a mouth full of food.

"There's no way my little boy is going to become a delinquent," she said firmly.

"If it's only going to be a few months, I could just work the fields," Goten suggested, he didn't want to go back to school. _ Maybe I do want to wish myself back after all. _

"I'm calling up Mr. Kyoshi first thing in the morning so Goten can start right away!" ChiChi said ignoring the suggestion of her youngest son. "Neither I nor your father had a proper education and there's no way my little boy is missing out like we did, even if it's only for a few months," ChiChi crossed her arms. Then the sound of utensils hitting a plate startled everyone at the table.

"Mr. Kyoshi, as in the principal of Orange Star High School? _ My high school? _" Pan asked dramatically.

"Well, where else would he go?" ChiChi stated the obvious, "It's the closest high school to Mount Paozu. I _ wish _ there was a high school close by, then my innocent little boy wouldn't have to deal with all those _ city girls _," she hissed the last part.

Pan pouted, pushed her plate away, and folded her arms over her chest. The rest of the dinner was somewhat tense, but his parents seemed happy.

"Hey, I know the year is 796," Goten piped up, "But what's today?"

"October 17th," his brother answered him and waited for Goten to say more.

"Oh," Goten realized, "So my birthday just passed," he said disappointedly. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep before my sixteenth birthday. I was really excited for my party," he said dejectedly and pushed the food around his plate.

Videl looked at him sympathetically, "I remember that," she said sweetly, "It was a great party, though Gohan did get drunk and break his promise," she giggled while an embarrassed looking Gohan blushed. "But don't worry, Goten, all your friends loved the Great Saiyaman crashing your party and Mr. Satan fighting him off." They reminisced for a bit and there was less tension than before though Pan seemed to still be upset and was casting glares his way every now and then.

Once Goten felt more comfortable he asked his mom, "After dinner can Gohan and I pick up my car?"

"What car?" ChiChi looked at him suspiciously. "The one you have in West City?"

_ I have another car? _"No, the one dad wished for me with the dragon balls."

"Goku! Is this true?" ChiChi looked at him sternly.

"Kind of?" Goku replied scratching his chin in confusion.

ChiChi threw up her hands, "Well it's alright with me, if it's okay with Gohan."

"Sure thing, Goten." Goten was relieved he'd get to keep his new chick magnet, he just needed to learn how to drive it. Goten hurriedly finished his meal, cleared the table, and set to wash the dishes. He knew his mom would never excuse him if there were dirty dishes in the sink.

"Okay, Gohan, let's go!" Goten said excitedly, jumping up and down.

"Alright," his older brother bid farewell to his wife and daughter and their parents before following Goten out the door.

The two brothers took off to the sky, slowly, "I don't know exactly where it is, dad instant transmitted us," Goten admitted to his brother, "We still have some good daylight, so you look that way and I’ll look in this direction. If you find it just send a little energy blast into the air." Gohan nodded and they both took off in their respective directions to look.

After a few minutes, Goten spotted the pristine red convertible and signaled to Gohan, who quickly joined him. Gohan let out a whistle when he saw Goten's pride and joy.

"So this baby is all yours now?"

"Yup!" Goten said proudly and got in the driver's seat. He was relieved to see that no one stumbled upon the car with the keys still in the ignition.

"Hey Gohan, can I still hang out at your house in Satan City after school?" Goten said as he opened the driver's side door and got in. Gohan followed his lead and got in the passenger's side.

"I'd say yes if we still lived there," Gohan replied breezily.

"You don't?" Goten was puzzled, he thought Gohan and Videl had loved living in the city.

"We moved to Mount Paozu not soon after your sixteenth birthday. You didn't notice the bigger house a few meters from mom and dad's place?" Gohan asked. Goten shook his head.

"Why did you move? That place was great!" _ All those rooms…the pool…the huge tv… _

"The paparazzi were getting to be too much and we didn't want Pan to grow up in the spotlight," Gohan explained. _ Pan. _ One of the most jarring things was seeing his cute little niece as a sullen teenager. _ Maybe she was just in a bad mood today. She'll be the sweet little Saiyan you remember. _

"I guess a lot of things change in thirteen years." Bulla was brought back to the forefront of his mind again. She barely said a few sentences to him but he already had it bad.

"Why did you ask me to come with you?" Gohan asked once Goten turned on the car.

Goten smiled sheepishly at his brother, "I don't actually know how to drive. Can you teach me?"

* * *

Goten awoke the next morning wondering if the past twenty-four hours had been a dream but he looked around his bare room that had been cleaned of all his personal effects years ago, and reality hit him once again. _ I'm sixteen but I'm supposed to be twenty-nine, _ he reminded himself. Luckily, his mom had kept some of his clothing and promised to take him shopping. For now, he was wearing his dad's pajamas. _ How long have I been asleep for? _he wondered. His mom was always an early riser, he knew she would be up but how much of the day had he already wasted?

Goten went to the kitchen in his borrowed pajamas hoping that there would be breakfast on the table, and indeed ChiChi had done so and was idly sipping her tea. Once she noticed Goten's presence, she beamed at her youngest son.

"How did you sleep, sweetie?" she asked nicely with an indulgent smile on her face.

"Uh, fine, mom," he sat himself down at the table, helping himself to the stacks and piles of food his mother had left for him, her own plate was empty in front of her.

"I'm sorry I don't have more of your old things but you insisted on getting rid of them," ChiChi chastised him slightly.

"That wasn't me mom," Goten insisted, all the while stuffing his mouth with food.

"Oh, I know, honey," she replied in a much sweeter tone. "Your older self just frustrated me,” she said patronizingly, and went back to sipping her tea.

Goten gobbled down the rest of his breakfast in silence. He didn't know what to say to his mom, it was only really one day ago for him but for his mom it had been thirteen years. Though it was only yesterday to him, he couldn't think of a single thing to say to his mother.

"So are you going to take your new car out? I bet Bulla would like to ride in it, she doesn't have her license yet," his mom offered up casually. Goten immediately starting choking on the egg in his mouth. Goten coughed and hacked and managed to unobstruct his airway while his mom just sat there sipping her tea, like nothing was amiss.

"Have you seen her yet?" she asked Goten curiously. "She's grown up to be a great beauty," she said proudly as if she was talking about her own daughter. "Of course, she's also very smart and has a very good worth ethic, you won't find her slacking off."

_ I guess Bulla charms everyone. _"Yes, I met her," Goten tried to say calmly after clearing his throat. Luckily for him, his face was already red from nearly choking that his mom shouldn't have been able to correlate his blush with the mention of Bulla.

Much to his relief, Goten's keen senses picked up the sound of an air vehicle. Whomever that was, had to be a visitor, no one else lived so remote. Spreading his senses out, Goten felt out for who it could be, it was weak but familiar. _ Bulma! _

"Hey mom, Bulma's here," Goten warned his mother who sat calmly while the blue haired woman just let herself into the Son home.

"Hello, everyone!" Bulma said brightly, arms wide open. Dangling off her left arm was a plain gift bag.

Goten swallowed the food he was chewing, "Good morning, Bulma," he said politely.

"To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" ChiChi asked Bulma, though she seemed unbothered by Bulma's presence.

"I feel slightly responsible for giving Goku the dragon radar, so I was thinking of ways I could help," she offered apologetically. Goten wondered what that meant, and his imagination couldn't help but run wild with terrifying possibilities.

"You're not going to hook me up to some crazy machine, are you?" Goten couldn't keep the fear from creeping into his voice.

"Oh no, honey!" she waved his concern away not unkindly, "Why would I create an aging machine? That's the opposite of what people want!" she scoffed. She pulled out a case from the gift bag, it looked like the one Trunks had to carry all his capsules.

"Gohan called me last night filling me in on the whole situation." Bulma started, "So four whole months of being a teenager again? And your mom's not even going to let you get a break from school, huh?" she ribbed him, nudging him with her elbow. "Here's everything you're going to need to survive high school successfully."

"Books?" ChiChi asked in anticipation.

"Pfft," Bulma dismissed, "I was thinking of something more practical, like this cell phone for instance." She pulled something out of her back pocket and tossed it carelessly to Goten who caught it easily.

Goten inspected the object in his hands. It didn't look like any cell phone Goten had ever seen. Where were the number buttons? In fact it looked like there weren't any buttons. It was just a black rectangle, heavier than he expected.

"That's the latest cPhone model, the XL." Bulma said proudly.

"Um, thanks?" Goten replied unsure. He looked at the "phone" in his hands once again. What was he supposed to do with this?

"You're welcome!" Bulma beamed at him, "And you know you're welcome to let yourself into Capsule Corp anytime and raid our fridge like you've always done." Bulma offered generously. "Gohan and I are going to go over any of your recurring bills and I'll take care of all of it, even your apartment so you'll have a place to go back to when all is said and done."

"I had my own place?" Goten wondered aloud in astonishment. _ Duh Goten, this place has been cleaned out of all your stuff. _

"Don't you dare think of going there without my permission!" ChiChi yelled at him, rearing at him and poking her finger into his chest. "I've already taken your keys so don't even think about it!" she warned.

Goten was cowed and only managed to squeak out an "Okay."

Bulma didn't appear fazed in the slightest and just opened up the capsule case. "I guessed your size but I'm pretty confident that all these should fit." She pressed the top of a capsule and dozens of boxes appeared in the small home.

Impatiently, Goten lifted the lid off of one and inside was an expensive looking leather jacket, he immediately tried it on. It fit perfectly.

"Here put these sunglasses on!' Bulma eagerly handed Goten a pair of designer sunglasses that he wasted no time putting on.

"Bulma, you're going to spoil him," ChiChi chided.

"Oh relax, ChiChi. He's going to have a hard enough time as it is being the new kid in high school. At least he gets to go in with the latest top gear." She threw a wink and a smile Goten's way. Goten couldn't help but blush, he always thought Bulma was pretty but now she just reminded him of Bulla. "And here are some clothes that will actually fit, your older self was quite the beefcake," she teased.

Goten appreciated the new wardrobe but he felt like a simpler kid and was more comfortable in his simple baggy t-shirts and pants. Bulma showed him more of what she brought over, a jet plane that ChiChi made her take back, some school supplies, which ChiChi was thrilled about, a new laptop and printer so he could do his school work, then there was other stuff that his mom wasn't pleased about but let him keep, video game consoles, a television set, and a tablet. It may have felt like he missed out on sixteenth birthday but Bulma sure made up for it with her generosity.

"I'll have to put up an internet connection here like I did with Gohan and Videl's place," Bulma mulled over while walking around the small home, a difficult feat considering the place was packed with boxes, "With my genius, it shouldn't take more than the morning!" she clapped her hands together. "Now to start! Goten put all your stuff away!" she ordered.

Bulma was right, a project that would normally take days even weeks just took her a few hours with Goten's help and soon the Son home was completely caught up to Age 796, but ChiChi drew the line at a dishwasher.

Bulma left soon after the job was done. Lunch time was approaching but ChiChi had shooed him away while she prepared the food. Having nothing else to do, Goten went over to Gohan's house, hopefully his brother could fill him in on this year. His parents didn't care much for current events and technology, instead, they liked to live as if it was still fifty years ago.

Goten remembered flying up to whatever window to whatever room they were in when he visited Gohan and Videl, but the house before him was so much smaller and private. What should he do? Knock? He hesitated by the door; however, it soon swung open and he was greeted by a smiling Videl.

"Just come in, Goten," she laughed.

"Thanks, Videl," He replied somewhat bashfully. "Is Gohan here, or Pan?"

"I'm afraid Gohan is busy grading papers and Pan is still moping in her room."

"Why is she sad? Did something happen?" Goten asked concerned and looking to the stairs where he figured Pan's room might be. "Does she want company?"

Videl just rolled her eyes, "She's just being whiney. Nothing to worry over," she shot a slight glare in the direction of where Goten assumed Pan's room might be.

"Oh. Then can I hang out with you?" Goten asked, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you catch me up on some things?"

"Ever the polite, Goten," Videl beamed at him. "Sure, ask me anything you would like."

"I think my mom confiscated my wallet and apartment keys. Um, why would she do that?" Goten had been confused at his mother's behavior. _ What was older me doing? _He didn't want to outright ask Videl what kind of things old Goten got up to.

Videl just waved her hand dismissively, "I think she's just really happy to have her baby back that she's not thinking too clearly."

"Well what I meant was, what was older me doing that she might not approve of?"

"As far as I know, not visiting enough, bringing home the wrong girls…" she trailed off and laughed. "But I don't think you were up to anything 'untoward' so to speak," Videl shrugged.

They were silent for a moment while Goten pondered Videl's words. _ Not visiting, bring home girls? _It was all a mystery to Goten, one that he didn't feel was too pertinent, though he wondered if he could use his old ID to buy beer.

"I was hoping Gohan would be around to help me drive, I don't really have much to do and I would rather be out of the house when my mom realizes I could be studying," Goten said changing the subject. The way he saw it, if he only had four months of being a teenager he might as well take advantage of all the gifts Bulma got him, as well as the car his mom probably wouldn't let him drive, but he could have it when he was older, right?

"I can help you practice. I know how to drive too, you know." Videl winked at him and went to grab a coat, "Gohan told me it was a convertible, right?" she shrugged on her coat. "I've got to head out in an hour or so but your mom will probably be done with lunch by then." The two headed out and Videl let out a wolf-whistle when she saw the pristine classic convertible. "No wonder why you wished to be sixteen again and get to drive this thing."

"Mount Paozu is the perfect place to practice with a manual transmission, no one around to see you stall the car," Videl joked before buckling up her seatbelt. "You know how to turn it on, right?" Goten nodded and pushed the clutch all the way down and engaged the brake pedal. "Okay start by putting the car in first gear…" Videl talked Goten through the steps and soon they were off practicing turns and regulating speed. They made small talk even though Goten was trying to focus on shifting gears and trying not to kill the engine.

"My old friend Erasa's daughter goes to Orange Star High School too," Videl began, "I can ask her to keep an eye out for you so you don't feel like such a new kid at school. I don't think you can rely on Pan to show you the ropes."

"It can't have changed that much in thirteen years, could it?" Goten pondered aloud. "And why wouldn't Pan want to hang out with me? I'm her favorite uncle!" he declared proudly.

"Yeah about that…" Videl began tentatively.

"Dammit, I killed the engine,” Goten moaned as the car stalled, interrupting Videl.

"That's okay, you did great," Videl said encouragingly, "Besides we should head back now, I need to get to a meeting."

"Even on a weekend?" Goten was a little disappointed, not only because he wouldn't get to ride around in his car but also because he liked talking to Videl, she was nice as she was two days ago, she treated him normally. His mom had gone full mollycoddler, she even let Goten keep everything Bulma brought but the jet plane. A few days ago, he never would have expected that.

"Even on a weekend," Videl affirmed.

"I'll be sure to phone Erasa and tell her to let daughter Page know to look you up, I'll tell her you'll be the boy with 'Goten Son' written on his shirt," Videl said before she exited the vehicle and said her goodbyes to Goten.

Goten merely ambled to his home smelling the—no doubt—delicious lunch, his mom had cooked up.

"Just in time, Goten!" his mother cheerfully told him as he walked through the door. Goten settled himself at the table while his mother pushed a plate of food in front of him.

"Thanks, mom! It smells great!" Goten said enthusiastically. ChiChi merely gave him a sweet smile and went to work washing the dishes. _ Mom has been so weird, normally she smacks me and makes _ me _ wash the dishes before I get to eat. _Goten wasn't going to question it, however.

Goten reached for a second helping when he felt that familiar lightning bolt strike through him. The image of a smirking blue haired girl flashed in his mind.

"Bulla's coming," Goten blurted out. He hadn't even been thinking of her yet her energy had cut through his senses without warning. Bulla's energy felt a bit like Gohan's, subdued but incredibly powerful, fitting to burst.

"Oh, yes!" his mother nodded, "She's probably coming by to see Pan. I've never seen any two closer, except for you and Trunks, of course," she said and went back to the dishes humming serenely, "Still, I hope she'll pop in and say hi," she added as an afterthought.

Secretly, Goten hoped so too. Maybe yesterday was a fluke. _ She's pretty, that's all it was. She's little Bulla, more like a little sister than a potential girlfriend. _ Goten resolved to see her as such. He thought back to when he last saw three year old Bulla and much to his dismay, he couldn't exactly recall. The only poignant memories he had of her was seeing her for the first time as a spiky haired newborn and when she scared the crap out of everyone by unexpectedly going Super Saiyan at age two. _ This is going to be harder than I thought. _

Goten tried not to follow her energy but it was so hard, she was like a beacon, honing all his senses to focus on her movements even though he couldn't see her but, damn, he could _ feel _her. Goten shook his head, willing those thoughts to leave him. Being here was going to drive him crazy, he thought.

"Hey mom, is it okay if I go see Trunks?" Goten avoided adding that he had nothing better to do, he knew saying that would get a broom or book thrown into his hands.

"Of course, honey!" ChiChi said sweetly and turned to him eyes closed with a closed mouth smile. Goten was a little worried now, his mom was far too accommodating than she was a few days ago, and didn't even give him a conditional answer; however, Goten did not want to question his mother's generous attitude and quickly gave her a farewell kiss on the cheek and rushed out of the Son home, away from Bulla's overwhelming energy.

The further Goten got from Mount Paozu, the easier it was to get Bulla out of his head. Goten instead focused his senses on finding his best friend. Goten stayed still in the air as he focused his mind on his best friend's energy. _ Right about…THERE! _Goten had locked in on Trunks' signal and made his way towards his best friend's energy.

_ I guess I didn't need to go through the trouble of locating his energy, he's at home. _Forgetting who he was at the moment, Goten let himself into the compound, treating the place like his own, like he always had since he could remember. The outside of Capsule Corporation looked the same but he was reminded of how much time had passed when he glanced at the interior of the Briefs' family home.

Before Goten could take in any details from the place, a frenzied Trunks came out of his room rushing toward Goten, clad only in his boxers. He paused and took in Goten and burst out laughing much like he had the day before.

"Oh, that's right!" Trunks managed to cough out in between laughs, but Goten was not nearly as amused. Goten had to roll eyes at Trunks' delight at the situation. It wasn't _ that _ funny.

"So Goten, what are you doing here?" Trunks said rather casually once he got the rest of his laughs out. He rested his hand and leaned on a nearby chair neglecting to realize it had wheels and promptly fell over. Now it was Goten's turn to laugh. _ Karma, bitch. _

"You know, you should probably call before you head out somewhere," Trunks huffed getting up.

"I never did before," Goten shrugged. "Besides, do you even have the same phone number you had from thirteen years ago?" Goten pointed out.

"And point taken," Trunks conceded. "My mom mentioned getting a bunch of stuff ready for you last night. I assume she gave you a phone."

"Yeah, but I don't really know how to use it," Goten admitted, shrugging.

"You didn't come by in the hopes of catching a glimpse of my precious baby sis, did you?" Trunks questioned turning to him. _ No, if anything, I came here to get away from her. _

"No use in denying it," Trunks said the moment Goten opened his mouth. "Everyone could hear the boner popping when she walked in yesterday." Goten looked to Trunks in horror. _ How could they have known?! _ "Except Bulla," Trunks continued talking, unaware of Goten's discomfort, "She can be a bit of a dimwit, sometimes stuff needs to be pointed out to her."

"Actually, Bulla was visiting Pan when I left home, I knew she wouldn't be here." Goten informed Trunks in an effort to dissuade the older, _ now much older _, half-Saiyan from continuing his line of thought.

"Was she now?" Trunks smiled at Goten smugly. "Her energy is hard to miss, isn't it?"

Thinking Trunks had dropped the idea that Goten had any _ intentions _toward Bulla, Goten easily replied, "Yeah, it was like BOOM all of a sudden she was there."

Trunks looked over to Goten knowingly. "I get it, she's cute but just spend time with her and you'll get over it, she's been in a mood lately," Trunks shuddered.

"I don't think anything about Bulla," Goten said nonchalantly hoping Trunks wouldn't come to any conclusions.

"Don't worry, Goten," Trunks clapped him on the shoulder. "I know _ you _ would _ never _ make a move on _ my _ sister," Trunks emphasized. _ Okay, sounds like a bit of a warning. _ "She would never go for you anyway,” he laughed throwing his head back. _ Hmmph. _ Goten internally grumbled. _ It's not that farfetched. _ "Just don't pull any of that Mai shit on _ my _Bulla."

_ What Mai shit? Better not ask. _ "Of course not!" Goten said appalled. One, he resolved not to think of Bulla in _ THAT _ way, and two, if he was going to reluctantly be aged back in four months it didn't seem right for him to pursue anything should his constitution prove to be weak. _ Who am I kidding? _

"Anyway, I thought your dad would have taken you to Namek by now," Trunks said wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Can't," Goten sighed, "Lord Beerus just used all of their wishes for something stupid."

"Sounds about right," Trunks started but then his face darkened and he gulped at the mention of Lord Beerus, "That guy creeps me out," Trunks admitted, dropping his cocky façade. "It's been years but he was always holding a hakai ball to my face and saying, 'Not today, Trunks. Not today.' whenever he saw me, and I still have no idea why."

Goten didn't know why either and didn't bother to reply to that. "Anyway, I'm stuck in the future for a few more months." Goten didn't feel too put off by the idea but Trunks demeanor changed and he looked to Goten in concern.

"Sorry, man. I wouldn't have been making so many jokes if I had known," Trunks said apologetically.

"It's okay." Goten never stayed mad at his best friend for long or ever really. Just then Goten heard a catchy song play out of nowhere startling him. He observed his best friend look at the object he had in his hand since he greeted Goten. _ It's another one of those weird rectangles! _Trunks wordlessly excused himself from Goten and went into his room.

Once left alone, Goten didn't really know what to do. The whole place looked so different from last week. He had gone to bed a fifteen year old boy only to wake up to be told he was really a twenty-nine year old man. He wondered if he had the opportunity, should he wish himself back immediately? This whole thing was making his head spin, and wouldn't it just be easier to trust everyone and go back to normal? Well _ their normal. _Goten couldn't dwell on it, unless there was a way for him to gather the super dragon balls, he was stuck like this for a few months.

Trunks then came back to where Goten was in the Briefs family living room, but this time fully dressed, and rather formally, Goten noticed. The Trunks Goten remembered lived in in t-shirts and jeans, but thirty year old Trunks was wearing a three piece suit with a tie. _ Surely, he can't be going to work on a Saturday? Looks like he might be dressed for a date. _

"So uh, Trunks, what did you end up doing with your life?" Goten found himself curious about where everyone had found themselves after thirteen years, though he found himself wary about his own future.

"Still haven't figured it out," Trunks said curtly avoiding eye contact with Goten, it was a blink and you might miss it moment, but Goten thought he caught some sadness in his best friend's expression. Goten shook it off, maybe he was wrong.

"So what was that call about?" Goten asked changing the subject.

"Just Marron," Trunks shrugged. _ Oh that's right, she was here yesterday too. _"She's on her way too." Trunks motioned to the living room furniture and spread himself on the couch, laying down with his hands behind his head.

"What are you two doing?" _ Was Trunks' date with Marron? _

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked disinterestedly.

"Since when do you hang out with Marron?" Goten was curious, could things have changed that much in thirteen years?

"She's a detective now," Trunks said. Goten could even hear a hint of pride in his voice, but he was still curious about the relationship between the two.

"Following in the old man's footsteps? But what does that have to do with you? Wait, are you a detective?" Goten queried to the other halfling.

"No." _ Well there goes that theory. _

"Yeah, I never pictured you as a good guy," Goten couldn't resist joking in an attempt to quell the awkwardness in the room. Trunks threw a throw pillow at Goten, which he was able to dodge easily. If they were in Trunks' room, he would have just left it on the floor but he felt bad about messing up Bulma's living room and retrieved the pillow, setting it nicely on a nearby chair.

"I'm helping her gain access to Capsule Corp, the place was ransacked but nothing was taken," Trunks began sitting up, finally ready to explain things. "The West City Police Department put Marron on the case because they basically believe there is no case, but someone out there wants something and they were smart enough to not leave a trace."

Goten was taken aback by that new piece of information. Capsule Corporation was one of the most secure places on the planet and the security system was built by people who, Goten was pretty sure, were the smartest people on the planet.

"The cops say it's nothing but my mom thinks something is up and used her leverage to get a case open, and we wouldn't want anyone other than Marron to handle it, we were so lucky she was the one assigned to the case," Trunks finished.

"So it seems she's doing pretty well for herself then.” It was one of the few things Goten could think to say.

"Yup, only twenty-five and knows what she wants and is going for it," Trunks said impressed. Twenty-five seemed pretty old to Goten. _ Shouldn't we have it all figured out by twenty-five? _

"You know it's so weird," Goten said changing the subject, "Little Marron that used to tag along wherever we went is now a total hottie." Despite recognizing that Marron had grown up to be quite beautiful, she didn't quite set his world aflame. _ Is it wrong that it's hard to think of Marron _ THAT _ way, but it's really easy to…don't go down that way Goten. _He told himself.

"Yeah, I guess she's pretty," Trunks mumbled, clearly not caring for Goten's new choice of subject.

Marron then made herself known by bursting out laughing. "My ears are burning," the blonde detective said teasingly toward the two males. _ She sure got here fast, guess her flying has improved in the last ten or so years. _

"Sorry, Marron," Goten said sheepishly, he was sure his face was lighting up. He figured he ought to be the one to apologize, he was the one who brought up her looks in the first place. "I'm just so out of the loop, you know," Goten said nervously. "Everything and everyone is just so different."

"I understand," Marron said sympathetically. "How have you been?" she smiled sweetly at him.

"Um, still getting used to things, I guess," Goten shrugged. He had hoped that visiting Trunks would provide some semblance of normalcy but instead he felt a huge chasm between him and his best friend.

"You're welcome to come along with Trunks and me, if you don't have something else to do," Marron offered kindly.

"Thanks but I wouldn't want to interrupt your date." While Goten appreciated the sentiment, he felt so out of place already, he didn't want to be a third wheel.

"What? We're not dating," Trunks protested. _ Oops. _Goten cringed.

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood. I just thought since it was the weekend, you two were getting together socially. Trunks even dressed up." Goten awkwardly pointed to Trunks' sharp outfit, trying to explain himself. He didn't really care what Trunks thought of his gaffe but he didn't want to embarrass Marron, she had always been such a sweet kid. _ Not a kid anymore though. _

Marron seemed unfazed by Goten's comment. "Don't worry, Goten. There's a lot you need to catch up on. You won't be interloping if you want to come along," she offered again. It seemed like everyone had somewhere to be today.

Goten embarrassed himself in front of Marron already, he didn't need another opportunity to do so. "Thanks but no thanks, my mom is probably expecting me back soon," Goten offered his excuse weakly.

"Oh hey, before you go, let me put my number in your phone." Trunks gestured to Goten to come closer to him. Goten walked over to Trunks and pulled out the heavy rectangle Bulma said he would want to keep on him at all times. "Just you wait, I'll get you back," Trunks vowed quietly threatening Goten as the latter passed his phone to him. _ What did I do? _ Trunks handed Goten his "phone" back. Goten still couldn't make sense of the object and just said goodbye to Marron and Trunks. Goten tried to figure out what Trunks was going to get back at him for, and how Trunks was going to go about it. He thought back to the childish mischief Trunks got them into and realized what might be in store for him. _ Some things you don't outgrow, I guess. _

Goten took his time flying home, pondering to himself what he would be doing last week, which apparently to everyone else on Earth was thirteen years ago. Goten sighed, the last time he saw Trunks he was just happily coasting through life. Now Trunks was doing responsible adult things. And where was Goten? Completely lost for one, and crushing hard on a girl with whom he had barely interacted.

Having taken his time from West City to Mount Paozu, Goten arrived back at his house in the late afternoon. Walking into the Son home, his senses were immediately assaulted by the smells of his mother's cooking.

"I don't think you'll mind having dinner a little earlier since your father didn't join us for lunch," ChiChi said absentmindedly to Goten while plating her dishes. _ Wow, she's not even yelling at me for not helping or passive aggressively complaining. _His father was already sitting eagerly at the table piling his plate with foodstuffs as soon as his mom put down a dish. The table looked more weighed down than usual once ChiChi was done plating all her dishes. Goten couldn't fathom why but he wasn't going to complain.

Then he felt it again. Oh that sweet, shocking, mind numbing energy that rendered him dumb. Neither of his parents made note of it and carried on as normal, but for some reason Bulla's energy could never escape Goten's notice, even if he wasn't stretching out his senses looking for her.

_ Time to put my resolution into practice, _ Goten thought to himself. He turned to see Pan amble through the doorway easily, seat herself down and help herself to the cooking, nary giving Goten a hello which didn't bother him too much as he couldn't help but notice Bulla hanging out by the door. Once he saw her looking into the house unsurely, and they made eye contact, Goten felt his resolve shatter. He quickly turned back to his meal. _ Stupid! At least your dad waved to her. _

Much to his discomfort, his mom sat Bulla next to him after ChiChi had told her it was Goten that picked up on her energy earlier. _ Thanks for making me sound like a total creep, mom. _ Goten shoveled as much food into his mouth as he could so he wouldn't be expected to talk. Goten was unsure if the nervous energy he was picking up was coming from her or himself.

"Hey," Bulla mumbled as she sat down. "Don't talk much do you?" Bulla said before she began to ignore him.

_ What was that old saying? "It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." Just be quiet and she'll think you're uninteresting and she'll never seek you out and you can get through these four months without ever interacting with her at all. _

"You know what would be a great idea? If you could help Goten catch up with his school work!" his mom suggested to Bulla, cutting through Goten's attention. _ Yes, please tutor me! Wait—no! Stay away! _

Goten remained focused on his food while his mom prattled on to Bulla about how much help Goten would need. _ Just tell her you think I'm a complete idiot, mom, _Goten internally grumbled. Then ChiChi changed the subject to Bulla's virtues and pointedly directed all her comments to Goten which made it hard for him to focus on anything but the girl next to him.

A tense moment emerged when Pan interrupted ChiChi but the older woman quickly turned it around to another opportunity for Goten and Bulla to spend time together. _ What is it with her lately? She always hated girls around me and now she wants me to take one to her house? _

"I don't really need an escort, Ms. ChiChi," Bulla insisted, "Goten's been through so much already, he should stay home and familiarize himself…" Bulla trailed off but one look at his mother showed she brooked no argument and Goten knew better than to say anything when his mom had made up her mind. He was even surprised ChiChi didn't go off on Bulla for disagreeing with her. In fact, his mom looked as cheerful as ever. _ Was Bulla a witch? Is that why she got away with more than anyone else? _

The evening continued with ChiChi now turning the conversation to how great Goten was, though he suspected she was embellishing some stuff. Goten could feel Pan growing more irate the more ChiChi extolled the virtues of Goten and Bulla, and told Pan she could stand to work a little harder.

"I can help with the dishes, Ms. ChiChi," Bulla offered the Son matriarch. Goten sharply turned to the beautiful blue haired girl. The Capsule Corporation heiress, princess of all Saiyans, offering to wash the dishes of a farmer's wife from the middle of nowhere? Goten melted with affection for the girl. It would be easy for him to squash down his crush if she had a horrible personality but with the way his mother clearly loved her, it told Goten that Bulla was probably just as beautiful on the inside as she was in appearance. Goten made his way outside in case Bulla was wanted to leave as soon as possible.

_ Maybe I won't be giving up on her after all, _ Goten thought as he glanced at the blue haired girl through the open door of the Son home as she made her way outside.

"I'm only going along with this because your mom insisted," Bulla tried to say snidely, though at this point Goten felt she was trying to save face. "I don't need anyone to fly home with me." _ Proud like her daddy. _

"I bet you don't," he admitted, though he wasn't feeling completely calm, he put on a relaxed façade and tried to make a bit of conversation, it would be a boring flight otherwise. "I felt your energy approach when you were coming home from school yesterday. You're strong."

Bulla only "Hmphed" in response. _ Really? You couldn't come up with something better, Goten? Maybe she doesn't even like fighting? _

"You're a lot like your dad, huh?" he said before taking to the sky. _ I have a feeling that might have been the wrong thing to say. _He thought as Bulla caught up to him. Despite them keeping to the same speed, they said nothing to each other. Bulla seemed to be quite in the hurry to get home, however, and Goten found himself struggling a bit to keep up with her but he managed.

"My mom wouldn't appreciate it if I didn't see you to your door," Goten said as they landed.

"You could have lied to her. I'm sure you did enough of that when you were older," Bulla said annoyed turning her back to him. _ She totally hates me! _Goten lamented. Goten was never more curious about his older life than at this moment, had he done something to her?

"No," Bulla admitted quietly avoiding his gaze when he asked. "I'm pretty sure this is the longest amount of time we've spent alone together, actually." Before he could ask exactly what their prior relationship was like, Trunks came out of the house.

"Hey, man," Trunks greeted Goten with a slap on the shoulder, completely ignoring Bulla. "Come inside and we can catch up since we didn't get to yesterday, and you can get away from my bratty little sister."

Goten looked at Trunks puzzled. _ Did I hallucinate coming over earlier? _ From their escapades, Goten knew not to contradict Trunks in front of Bulla. _ He'll tell me why soon enough. _Still he felt compelled to defend Bulla. "She's not a brat. She's been nice." Both the Briefs siblings looked to him in surprise, though for different reasons he supposed.

"Whatever," Trunks waved Goten's statement away, "I'm your best friend after all. If anyone can help you make sense of your old life, it's me."

Goten then felt Bulla's energy quickly retreat into the house, trying to slip by unnoticed but Goten found he could easily track her energy anywhere. Before Goten accepted Trunks' invitation inside, he had to ask, "Why did you lie to Bulla?"

"Just wanted to stop before you mentioned anything about Marron," Trunks shrugged. "Once Bulla gets fixated on something, she gets tenacious, in this case, she'll be planning our wedding."

"_ Mine and your wedding?! _ " Goten nearly screeched out, not caring who heard. _ Had they all lied? Was Bulla not joking yesterday? _

Trunks shook his head. "No, you moron," Trunks said irritated. "Just," Trunks began before pinching the bridge of his nose, "You know what? Never mind." Goten was too relieved to question Trunks further about what he meant.

"Ask me anything," Trunks offered, leading Goten back into the house he had let himself into earlier, "We have months but there’s thirteen years to catch up on."


	10. Too Late to Turn Back Now

Trunks led Goten into his bedroom which was now totally unfamiliar to the younger half-Saiyan. First of all, it was clean, even with the cleaning bots, Trunks managed to keep the place filthy. Trunks flopped down on his bed,  _ now that's familiar _ , but that was the only thing, everything was out of place, missing, or replaced from what it once was in Goten's memories.

Secondly, the walls were now a muted dark green color, the carpet had been replaced with dark wood floors, Trunks' bed was bigger and moved to the center of the room, and gone were Trunks' posters of girls, cars, and rock bands. It looked like a grown up's room, more to the point a  _ sophisticated  _ grown up's room. Goten never thought he would use that word to describe either of them.

Goten opted not to join Trunks on the bed like he might have if they were still the same age—besides it looked too neat and clean—and instead chose the only other sitting surface in the room, a desk chair near Trunks' computer.  _ At least it's comfortable, because this conversation won't be,  _ Goten thought as he reclined in the high backed padded chair.

"Sorry about running off earlier," Trunks apologized, sitting up and leaning towards Goten.  _ That's weird, Trunks never apologizes.  _ "I just got caught up in that Capsule Corp robbery thing, I wasn't thinking about how all this is a shock to you."  _ Woah, Trunks really has grown up.  _ "So ask me anything you want," Trunks said openly. The older man got up from his bed and walked to the wet bar in his room that Goten hadn't noticed at first glance, having been more taken in by the fact that the room was so pristine.

"Um, okay." Goten had the opportunity to ask Trunks any question about his future and Goten wracked his brain for a good question to ask, instead of things pertinent to his life, he kept wondering things like:  _ What is Bulla's favorite color? Why does she smell like cinnamon? And most importantly, does Bulla have a boyfriend? Wait, do  _ ** _I_ ** _ have a boyfriend—I mean girlfriend?  _ Goten was still suspicious about Bulla's jokes, but he knew he shouldn't be having romantic thoughts about her, yet he couldn't help himself, though he knew better not to ask those questions lest Trunks suspect something.

"I think it's pretty obvious, but do I have a wife or girlfriend?" Goten had let Bulla take over the romantic part of his brain and hadn't even considered the possibility he had someone waiting for him,  _ I wonder if I ever snagged Valese? But Bulla is prettier than her anyway and probably has more street smarts, _ but now that he thought about it, it didn't seem likely as no lady friend had appeared.

"Wife? No," Trunks said pouring himself a dark amber drink. "Girlfriend, can't really say." Trunks took a sip and grimaced slightly, and gestured between Goten and the wet bar. Though Goten was tempted, he shook his head.  _ Mom would get so pissed. _

Goten didn't expect to be so put out by the news that he wasn't yet married at nearly thirty, but he was. According to family expectations, he should have been married by now, maybe with a couple of kids.  _ Look on the bright side, now you're free to pursue Bulla. Wait a minute! _

"How can you not know if I have a girlfriend?" Goten asked in surprise. "You're my best friend!"

Trunks let out a breath, "How can I put this?" he paused, thinking, "We haven't exactly been incommunicado this past year," Trunks frowned.

Goten looked at Trunks confused. "So then what did we talk about?"

Trunks sighed, "What I'm getting at is we didn't really hang out."

"But you said we weren't incommunicado," Goten was still perplexed.

Trunks turned to Goten with a patronizing look on his face, "Goten, incommunicado means 'in communication.' It's Latin or something." Trunks waved it off, taking another sip of his drink.

Goten was pretty sure that's not what that word meant, but dropped it lest he embarrass Trunks or himself.  _ Trunks seems so self-assured, maybe he’s right.  _ Goten shrugged it off, it wasn’t important.

"What, did we have a fight or something?" Goten decided to veer the conversation toward what Trunks thought he meant. He couldn't comprehend drifting from his best friend, the only thing that could drive a wedge between them was their stubbornness if they were both convinced they were right, which is why right now, Goten wasn't about to fight over the definition of 'incommunicado.'

"No, no, no, no," Trunks said placatingly putting his hands up defensively, "Nothing like that, it just happens when you get older and you find you're not into the same stuff anymore." Goten wasn't convinced, and his expression must have gave something away because Trunks looked pained trying to explain, "It's not like we never talked, just maybe not as much as we used to," Trunks finished weakly, looking down at his drink and swirling it around, Goten could hear the ice chips clink against the glass in the uncomfortable silence. "I mean I'm pretty sure if you were seeing someone, it was nothing serious. I think you would have introduced her to me if you thought it was going somewhere," Trunks offered.

"So no girlfriend, no fancy car,"  _ Sixteen is better already.  _ "What's so great about being twenty-nine? You said would show me," Goten pouted.

"Liberate your ID from ChiChi and maybe I can show you some real adult fun." Trunks smirked but his smile quickly dropped, "Whatever you do, don't ask Yamcha to take you out on the town," Trunks' face blanched. "You're so lucky you don't remember." Trunks looked positively haunted.

"Wha—" Goten was about to ask what had gone down, but Trunks interrupted him.

"Hard pass. Next question!" Trunks gave Goten an 'I mean it' glare. “You can ask me anything, but not that.”

"Uh, so how about, what do I do for a living?" That was a safe question, Goten reasoned, that last one revealed a lot of ugly truths and Trunks didn't want to seem to talk about whatever happened with Yamcha. Maybe he was Son Goten: Ace Fighter Pilot! True, he was faster and more deadly than any fighting plane but it still sounded cool. Anything to make his future seem less bleak.

"Crash test dummy," Trunks wasted no time answering.  _ Okay, maybe he hasn't grown up after all. _

* * *

Goten made his way down the familiar halls of Orange Star High School. It took twenty minutes to get here on the flying nimbus cloud and five if he flew himself but still somehow, he managed to be late on his first day. It was weird, he had set his alarm but it hadn't gone off.  _ No use in dwelling on it now. _ Goten made his way to the main office where a portly older woman was shuffling papers. Goten barely hesitated before approaching. "Excuse me," Goten said as politely as possible, making himself known. The woman looked up at Goten with a stern silently questioning look. "I am so sorry! I know I'm late and it's my first day and I just need my schedule so I can get to class and get to learning!" Goten said quickly in earnestly while the office secretary looked unamused. Goten stared at her blankly waiting for her to say something, anything. He felt awkward and shuffled his backpack over his shoulder.  _ Great way to start your first day,  _ he chided himself.

Much to his confusion, the school secretary burst out laughing. "You're that Son kid!"

"Uh, yeah," Goten awkwardly shuffled his feet.

"I'll tell ya, your mama is a grizzly bear. I've never seen Mr. Kyoshi fold that fast," she was still laughing. "I'm Mrs. Shoki, by the way," she added holding out her hand. Goten gratefully shook it, but much to his surprise Mrs. Shoki held on tight and pulled him closer to her. "Get used to my face if you're going to make a habit of being late," she warned, quickly letting go of his hand. She didn't give Goten a chance to respond before speaking again, "I'll let you off the hook this time since it's your first day, but you always gotta go through me if you're gonna be late," she scribbled on a small piece of paper. "Here's your tardy slip—don't worry, it's an excused tardy—and your new schedule," she handed him a larger sheet of paper, "And a map of the school, you'll need it as it's your first day and all," she grinned at Goten.

"Um thanks," Goten managed to eek out. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Have a good day, sweetheart!" Mrs. Shoki called from behind him as he got the hell out of the main office.  _ She wasn't here last week—no, dammit, remember Goten it's been thirteen years!  _ Goten disregarded the map. Of everything in the world he encountered the past few days, one thing was for certain, Orange Star High stayed the same. The same drab paint and demoralizing color scheme was all familiar; however, Goten had to brace himself, this was not Age 783, when he stepped into that classroom he wouldn't be seeing his old friends and crotchety old Mr. Eigo wouldn't be lecturing and calling on an unprepared Goten— _ that sadist— _ Goten thought with some relief.

Taking a deep breath, Goten reached for the handle, fully prepared to interrupt a class already in progress and have all the attention shift to him. The teacher would probably start with, " _ Class, we have a new student here today..."  _ Goten would have to say a little about himself, pretend he was just as young as everyone else there—well, technically he was—pretend he had just moved to Satan City, pretend like he wasn't already familiar with the drab walls of this place.

As Goten expected, once he opened the door, all eyes turned to him. Unfortunately, Goten recognized the teacher. "You haven't retired yet?!" Goten couldn't help himself from exclaiming in surprise and pointing at the old, unamused Mr. Eigo.

English had never been one of Goten's favorite subjects, anyway. Was that just him or was it Mr. Eigo's fault? Goten would never know seeing as he was stuck with the same uninspiring teacher who looked like he would turn to dust at any moment.

Trying to avoid any extra attention on himself, Goten hightailed it to his next class.  _ Life Science, why don't they just call it biology?  _ Good thing Goten was fast, because this class was on the other side of the campus.  _ Is this Mr. Kyoshi's revenge for whatever mom put him through to get me enrolled so quickly here? _

Goten made it to his next class fast enough, but the classroom was already pretty full already. The lab set up of the classroom put two students to a table. It was easier in Mr. Eigo's classroom where he just took the first available seat in front, but now he had to contend with the fact he couldn't sit anywhere he damned well pleased. Everyone probably had lab partners by now and he couldn't just hunker down in someone else's spot which left him in the awkward position he wanted to avoid.

Goten stood frozen for a moment, close to the doorway merely observing the other students instead of making any move to take a seat. There were only a few moments left before class would start and he would have to make a decision, would he risk taking someone else's seat or have another awkward moment in front of the class and let the teacher pick his seat?

Luckily for Goten, he was waved over by someone.  _ Is she waving to me?  _ Goten questioned himself and turned around to see who else she could have been waving to but it didn't look like there was anyone else around.

When she shouted out "Goten!" and gestured to the chair next to her, there was no doubt left in Goten's mind and went over to the girl's table.  _ She's cute!  _ "How did you know my name?" Goten blurted out, he was confused, and a little alarmed.

The blonde girl smiled brightly and giggled, "It's on your shirt, silly," she said pinching a bit of fabric between her fingers. Goten shivered at the contact. "I'm Page," she stuck out her hand for Goten to shake, and she began to laugh again. "I thought Videl was joking when she said to look for a kid with 'Goten Son' on his shirt but here you are!"

Goten felt his cheeks warm.  _ Maybe I should have gone with Bulma's wardrobe?  _ "It's um…my good luck shirt. You know, first day at a new school and all," Goten explained sheepishly.

"Don't worry, dude " Page assured him and patted the seat next to her.

Goten followed her cue and sat, "Thanks—"

"Yo! Page, you're breaking my heart! You gave away my seat!" Goten turned to see another kid their age clutch his chest, pretending to be wounded, but he was smiling. Page merely rolled her eyes.

"Well then you should have gotten here earlier, Penn," she replied slightly smug. "This is Goten," she indicated.

Goten's eyes nervously shifted between his two new classmates, unsure of how to respond. Much to his relief, the guy called Penn offered his hand to him, "Penn," the other boy said when Goten accepted his hand.

"Goten."

"You've got your name on shirt?" Penn questioned with an eyebrow raised. "Cool," he said curtly but before Goten could respond, the other boy sat at the counter in front of Goten and Page and faced the front of the classroom. It was just as well, the lesson was about to start.

Though Goten tried to pay attention to the lesson, his seatmates were a little chatty. Goten never had trouble making friends but Page and the others made it even easier for him. After biology class, Penn and Page told him to meet them at lunch. Goten said thanks for the offer and hadn't refused but he had a different plan in mind for lunch.

In his math class, he met another nice girl named Cilla and then in history, he met a friend of Page and Penn named Binder. Finally! It was time for lunch. Goten had missed Pan in the morning, he had hoped they could fly to school together and she could maybe show him the ropes. It would have been nice to navigate a strange situation with a familiar face.

Because of his malfunctioning alarm, Goten had had to skip breakfast, by lunchtime he was dying. Luckily, despite the chaos this morning, he hadn't forgotten to bring his lunch capsule. Once class was let out for lunch, Goten focused his senses on the particular energy of his niece, though she kept it low when she didn't need to unleash her power, Goten found her easily.  _ She's already in the lunchroom! _

Happily, Goten made his way to the room he knew Pan would be in, his sense of smell was able to guide him to her where he found her surrounded by a bunch of laughing guys and her pile of food.

Goten didn't hesitate in settling himself at her table. "Hey Pan!" he greeted her cheerfully and started to dig into his food. The table went silent though the cafeteria was still full of noise. Goten shrugged it off and spiked his energy a bit to heat up the soup in his hands. "So how's school today, Pan? This is your last year right? What kind of classes are you taking? Do you have Mr. Eigo? I can't believe I have him  _ again.  _ He never liked me and I think I blew my second chance—" Goten cut off his rambling when he looked up and saw Pan giving him a murderous expression. Before he could ask her what was wrong, a voice from the other side of the room called to him cutting through the noise.

"Goten!" Binder called to him, "Come sit with us! We saved you a spot!"

"Yeah, Goten, why don't you sit with your new friends?" Pan said with faux sweetness, though Goten wasn't all that familiar with teenage Pan, he could tell by her expression and tone that she didn't want him there. He was slightly hurt but didn't argue and gathered his stuff, not feeling as hungry as before. "We'll catch up later," Pan told him as he got up, only sounding slightly sincere. He was truly confused about whether she was serious or not.

Page and company were a more pleasant bunch and a nice change of pace from the cold reception he received at Pan's table. Slowly, he felt his appetite come back as he talked to the gang and received some advice about the school politics at Orange Star High School. From what he gathered, he was at the cool kids’ table. Pan was hanging out with other martial artists who seemed to do nothing but talk about how much they were lifting, that was according to Cilla.

"Absolutely, never be late," that was from Page. Mrs. Shoki was a hard ass and never excused any tardies that weren't from a doctor's office, plus she was one of those people that thought she was funny but just made stuff awkward.

"Mr. Eigo was the worst. I had him last year," Penn offered, and everyone at the table agreed. Goten lamented with the others about being stuck in his class instead of the good looking and pleasant natured Ms. Trulys while Penn and Binder high-fived over being assigned her class.

Lunch ended too quickly for Goten's taste but the day seemed to go by quickly enough and he was soon in his last class of the day, perhaps the one subject he always excelled at, Physical Education. This may have been his first day of school but it wasn't really his first day of school. He knew how to control his energy, enough to be impressive but not enough to over do it.

After changing and avoiding all eye contact in the locker room, Goten made his way out into the field ready to conquer the one class he couldn't fail when he spotted her. She must have known they had this last class together. It seemed to Goten this day was going to end on an even higher note. Sure, the day didn't start great but he made new friends and it looked like he and Pan were going to play a great game of baseball, at least that's what Goten initially thought.

It looked like Mr. Mercury, the old gym teacher, had left Orange Star High. Goten looked around and it seemed to him there wasn't any adult around, until he saw a portly man relaxed in a lawn chair under some shade. Upon a closer look, he had a whistle around his neck.  _ Probably, definitely, the gym teacher. When is he going to do something?  _ The answer came in the form of him handing off a clipboard and whistle to a giddy looking Pan. Much to Goten's surprise, Pan turned her head sharply to him and narrowed her eyes. Goten quickly looked away feeling as though he had committed some great offense. He hurried to Binder who had just made his way onto the field.

"I didn't think Pan would be in this class, she's in her last year, right?" Goten inquired to Binder.

The other boy laughed, "She's not in this class," he clapped Goten on the back, "She's the teacher's assistant." He jogged over to where the students were gathering around Pan and Goten followed suit.

"Listen up, maggots!" Pan barked out like a drill instructor, "Today, we're going to be playing the great game of baseball! Listen to me and don't screw around and we'll all make it to the end of the day! Understand?" she spat out. There were scattered "Yes" responses throughout the crowd. "That's what I like to hear! Line up!" she commanded and blew her whistle. Despite her diminutive stature, Pan had commanded the respect of the other teenagers. Pan took her place on the pitcher's mound and tossed a few balls to the designated catcher to warm up.

Goten didn't know how but somehow he was put in the very front of the line and someone handed him a bat.  _ Okay, I can do this!  _ Goten was confident, he knew Pan wasn't going to throw it faster than he could handle. They both lived by a code to conceal the extent of their abilities, and with his hand-eye coordination he could smack this out of the park easily. He could see it now, he would hit a home run into the stratosphere, the girls would swoon, the guys would pat his back, ask him in awe how he did it. He would be modest, say he just got lucky. Unfortunately for him, his fantasy took up too much of his attention and he heard the resounding smack of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt.

"That's strike one!" Pan shouted from the mound. "Get your head in the game!"

Right. This time Goten focused on Pan. He wasn't going to miss this pitch. When Pan released the ball, Goten focused all his senses on where it was going.  _ She gave me a good pitch! It's going straight toward the middle!  _ Goten was giddy. Then he noticed the ball was curving, right toward his solar plexus! Goten scrambled to get out of the way and ended up falling on his butt in the dirt. His face turned red in embarrassment as he heard some quiet giggles and not so quiet chuckles. Pan had curved that ball so quickly and expertly that it appeared to everyone else like another strike and that Goten had been too scared by the pitch.

From the looks Pan was giving him, Goten couldn't help but think she did that on purpose.

_ I thought this was baseball, not dodgeball. _

* * *

Miraculously, Goten made it through the first week of school. If he didn't know any better, he would say Pan didn't like him. At first, Goten thought it was because she was in the year ahead of him and high school politics prevented her from associating with him lest it damage her reputation. Though that didn't end up being the case at all; Pan was even friends with a ninth grader! Still, she was rather cold to Goten and took pains to avoid him. Goten knew nothing good would come of confronting her but it still stung that his beloved niece he used to play and goof around with made him persona non grata.  _ She does hang out with an awful amount of guys, I wonder if I should be worried… _

Goten shook those thoughts from his head and instead played with his new phone. He was finally getting the hang of it, Page and the others had showed him what apps to download and it seemed like when everyone wasn't at school, they were busy sending each other pictures and messages via various apps.  _ Page sure does post and send a lot of pictures of herself.  _ Goten didn't understand it but nevertheless, he made the attempt to connect with the kids who were now his peers. That's how he found himself sleuthing and wondering if a certain blue haired girl had an online presence. Bulla, Bulla Briefs, and Bulla Brief, yielded no results, so either she didn't have an account or she made herself unsearchable. The former seemed unlikely considering how important it was to the kids at his school, he could only imagine what it meant for the stereotypical image conscious kids of West City.

Much to his chagrin, Pan seemed to have preemptively blocked him and he wasn't privy to see any of her friends on the app.  _ What the hell did I do to her? _ Trunks was no help either as he had no social media accounts, neither did Marron. Surprisingly, Vegeta did but his profile was private. Goten resigned himself to not finding the Saiyan princess.

Still, Goten had to get ready, even though he only made it through one week of school, the other kids liked him enough to invite him to a party. His mom had tried to put him in a suit but even he knew that would be lame. It was times like these that he was grateful for Bulma's care package. At first, Goten was wary considering that Bulma had been the one to design the Saiyaman outfit, but it seemed she had her head straight when it came to regular clothes. The clothes weren't necessarily Goten's taste but trends change from decade to decade.  _ Just how long ago did my preferences go out of style? _ While Goten preferred his clothes baggy, the kids today were wearing well-fitted shirts and trousers.  _ Shorter hairstyles seem to be in _ , he thought as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair.  _ Maybe I should get a haircut? _

Goten shook his head, it didn't matter. Despite being an extrovert, Goten felt a little nervous going to Page's party. _Will they find out? I'm sixteen but I'm not sixteen_, Goten thought sadly. He wasn't familiar with the trends, the popular music, or the celebrities. Every time he had interacted with his peer group, he felt so clueless and even like an imposter. _What if they find out? _He thought again anxiously.

Though he felt a little tempted to stay home, he moved his feet out of his bedroom door.  _ No, you were invited. It's rude to turn down an invitation.  _ Goten went to tell his mother goodbye and expected a lecture from her, but instead she was idly drinking tea before bed.

"Have fun, honey," she said as she pecked him on the cheek. "Just be home before one."

_ What the hell? Before she would have said ten. _

"Yeah, sure thing, mom," Goten called over his shoulder as he made his way out the door. Goten raised his energy and took the sky, exerting more energy than he needed to in order to relax himself. Soon Satan City came into view and he descended out of sight, his mom still had a strict, 'don't show off your power' rule. He navigated his way to Page's house and as he approached the neighborhood, he could feel all the clustered energies of all the friends he had made that week. He steeled himself before walking into the open front door.

Immediately, he was greeted by the hostess herself, her pretty face all smiles as she took him by the arm to introduce him to people at the party. Truth be told, Goten was a little uncomfortable when he was presented with topics he knew nothing about but he nodded his head along and that seemed to satisfy them.

Goten had sensed Pan's energy around but didn't get a chance to seek her out as he had been attached to Page the whole night so far, that is, until he excused himself to the bathroom. Goten was trying to remember which door Page said the bathroom was when he was dragged inside. Goten let out an unmanly squeak, wondering what the assailant was going to do to him. Did they know he was an imposter? Were they going to expose him? It wasn't fair! He was only starting to have fun!

But who else could it have been but his niece Pan? No one else would have the strength to pull Goten in any direction he didn't want to go.

"What are you doing here? Did you follow me?" Pan demanded to know, poking his chest after she had locked themselves in one of the bathrooms.

Goten was confused, "Woah, Panny, relax," he put his hands up defensively. "I didn't know you were coming, I swear. I'm just here because Page invited me," he explained himself, but Pan's angry glare didn't leave her face.

His answer seemed to satisfy her because she turned to leave the bathroom but not before saying, "Just leave me alone tonight and I'll leave you alone."

_ What was that about?  _ Goten shook his head and made his way back to the party after he was done in the bathroom,  _ Good thing we were in the bathroom, Pan almost made me crap my pants!  _ Goten didn't have to search long for someone to talk to, as his nose was assaulted by the heavy perfume worn by Page.  _ Bulla doesn't need to wear perfume, she smells good already,  _ he couldn't help but think as he tried to dull his sense of smell against that flowery onslaught.

"Found you!" Page declared gleefully and grabbed his hand leading him somewhere. She led him to her home's basement where a few of his other new friends were hanging out, away from the masses on the floor above them.

"Sit down, relax, Goten," Page demanded as she pushed him onto a chair in the corner, she rubbed his shoulders for a second as if to emphasize the point that he needed to loosen up. She left him for a moment leaving him bewildered before she returned with clinking beer bottles in her hands.

_ There's alcohol at this party?! Maybe I should go warn Pan.  _ Goten moved to get up but was stopped by Page plopping herself onto Goten's lap and handing him a beer. Much to his own relief, little Goten didn't stir.

"Do you want me to get up so you can have the chair, Page?" Goten asked politely as he moved to stand up. She could have the chair and he could go warn Pan, everybody wins.

Instead of replying Page merely giggled. "That's why I like you, Goten. You're so sweet and unassuming," she smiled at him.  _ WHAT?! SHE LIKES ME?!  _ Goten was shocked and wasn't sure how to react to that and did what anyone would do and took a huge gulp of beer to occupy his hands and mouth. He didn't stop until the contents of the bottle were gone. Luckily for him, one beer wasn't going to do anything to him.

"I'll get you another one," Page spoke closely to his face, and Goten could smell that she had been hitting the bottles too. Goten was unsure what to do. If he left, would that be rude? Did he need to wait for her to get back? Further complicating things was that she outright said she liked him! _But wait, am I getting ahead of myself?_ _Maybe she just meant as a friend? Yeah, perhaps that's what she meant._

While Goten was further contemplating the situation, Page quickly returned with another beer for him. Goten vowed not to drink it, realizing his mom may have been luring him into a false sense of complacency and was totally going to smell his breath for any trace of alcohol once he got home.  _ Thank god, she isn't Saiyan! Imagine if she were though.  _ Goten nearly had a panic attack at the thought.

Goten raised himself from the chair before Page could sit in his lap again. "Uh, thanks for the drink, Page, but I think I should go, I need to get up early tomorrow," he made his excuses.

Page pouted but made no move to stop him, "Don't go, Goten. I have a plan," she winked at him mischievously. "Penn has been watching me all night and he hasn't made a single move," she pouted. Goten could tell Page wasn't exactly sober but she wasn't drunk either. She just seemed inebriated enough to let loose and maybe that's why she was confiding in Goten.

Not admitting to himself that he was slightly disappointed he wasn't the object of Page's affections, Goten decided to cooperate with Page. "Trying to make poor Penn jealous?" he teased the blonde girl. Goten snuck a quick peak at Penn whose face was twitching into a barely perceptible frown.

Instead of verbally responding, Page merely tapped her nose with her index finger.  _ That was pretty cute. Penn is lucky.  _ Goten couldn't help but smile at the blonde's antics. "I promise, you can go after we make a little show for him. I'll get you back one day."

"Why me, though?"

"Are you kidding, Goten? You're the talk of the school already."  _ Me?!  _ Goten could scarcely believe it. Goten usually had to work overtime to get attention. He had constantly felt overshadowed by his brother, his father, his best friend, even his brother's father-in-law. But here? He quickly scanned the room finally noticing the occasional glances his way. Even  _ jealous  _ glances towards him  _ and  _ Page.

_ Am I the cool guy? _

Goten was in a daze. Even though he couldn't remember being sixteen the first time, he knew right away the second time around was way better. While so far none of the girls at Orange Star High School lit up his world, it was nice to feel wanted.

_ Bulla, it looks you have some competition.  _ Goten shook his head from that thought as he shared a conspiratorial smile with Page.

* * *

While it seemed like Goten's world was upended, for everyone else it seemed to be business as usual for them. Videl still had to work, Gohan still had papers to grade, and Trunks now had responsibilities.

When Goten awoke the next day, he had a string of messages on his phone but two stuck out to him the most. One from Trunks and one from Page. He ignored Trunks' message for the time being and looked at Page's. His heart had nearly jumped to his throat when he saw he had a message from her. He vaguely wondered if they had taken it too far that night but he couldn't argue with results. Page got her Penn and Goten had a line of girls clamoring for his phone number, hence why he had so many messages. He was not unaffected by Page, in fact, he had quite enjoyed her company, but he also couldn't help but hold out hope for someone else.  _ Maybe if things were different... _

_ "Thanks for last night!  _ 😘 _ I owe you one!  _ 👍 _ "  _ Page's message read. 

Figuring she wasn’t expecting a response, Goten decided to look through the messages of the brave girls who had texted him before reading Trunks' message. He had never had so much female attention before. His mind couldn't help but flash to blue hair and eyes. Goten felt slightly guilty, but only slightly, deep down he was gleeful.  _ It didn't hurt to talk did it?  _ He thought as he methodically replied to every girl.

After a little back and forth with a few girls from school, Goten finally deigned to read Trunks' message.

Conveniently Trunks' message read:

_ "Do you want to do something today?" _

Yes, Goten very much wanted to do something today and rub all the female attention he was getting in Trunks' face.

_ "Definitely, what did you have in mind?"  _ Goten replied. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long for a response.

_ "Dunno. I can show you the latest shows and what not, but maybe Bulla would be better equipped for that. " _

_ Bulla?  _ The mention of her jolted Goten, not because he was reminded she existed, but because Trunks seemed to think he'd be better served hanging out with her.  _ But won't she be hanging out with Pan? _

Before Goten could reply another message from Trunks arrived:

_ "Can we get a raincheck? Marron asked for my help with something." _

Goten was a little disappointed, not because he missed the opportunity to hang out with Trunks but because he would have no distraction. Being home alone on a Saturday was boring, he had some invitations but being broke meant his options were limited. He knew he would end up ripping his hair out left to his own devices. Goten merely sighed and sent Trunks a message agreeing to a raincheck. Trunks replied rather quickly to that:

_ "I'm not kidding. Bulla's a brat but I don't think she'd mind helping you out, she's always complaining about being bored. Marron even said so and the two of them are like this 🤞" _

Goten's despair turned to excitement.  _ Trunks had some pretty good ideas. But what about the Pan predicament?  _ Goten reached out his senses and found Bulla easily, she was at Capsule Corporation but Pan was still on Mount Paozu. Dare he hope the girls weren't getting together today?

Goten wasted no time and threw on his favorite 'Goten Son' shirt and baggy pants, not fashionable at the moment but he liked them more than the other clothes in his closet. He hadn't even had breakfast yet but once he hastily explained to his mom that he was on his way to see Bulla, she looked on in approval and sent him on his way.

Goten was sure he broke the sound barrier as he flew to Capsule Corporation but he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He knew the Briefs kept their fridge stocked and he was really hungry having not had breakfast.

Goten could only feel two energies as he approached the compound, Bulla and her father, the prince of all Saiyans. He never wondered about it before, but did that make Bulla the princess of all Saiyans to anyone besides himself? He contemplated that for a moment as he hit the comm button. Though he had the security clearance to just let himself in, he knew it would be bad form to go right up to Bulla's room to let her know he was here, he hadn't even warned her he was coming, and how could he? He didn't have her phone number.  _ That will change today _ , he resolved, having felt emboldened by the line of girls ready to date him.

Not soon after he rang the Briefs' version of a doorbell, Bulla appeared disheveled and weary, yet still impossibly beautiful. "Trunks isn't here," she said abruptly and cut off communication. Goten was stunned for a moment at how she dismissed him but he tried again. He gave her the benefit of the doubt, after all, she didn't know he came to see her, not Trunks.

When Bulla reappeared on screen she still looked grumpy so Goten tried to lift her mood by being as cheery as possible. Goten told her that he was not there to see Trunks but her instead. She paused for a brief moment, her glare softening but not disappearing as she said, "That's not going to work."

Goten felt his mood deflate, maybe she did have plans today after all and maybe he wasn’t such a hot commodity after all.

"Oh, I can come back later then if right now doesn't work for you? Do you have plans? Did you need to get ready?" he asked losing all hope.

Much to his surprise, Bulla's eyes went wide and she reddened a bit. "Yes!" she exclaimed.  _ Oh, so she is doing something today,  _ Goten thought disappointedly but Bulla continued talking, "That's exactly what I meant! I need to get dressed. It will only be a few minutes, just come in and I'll be down soon." She quickly turned off the comm much like she did the first time without so much as a goodbye, but Goten couldn't help but smile to himself.  _ I'm in! _

Goten's stomach had been grumbling since he left home and the flight to Capsule Corporation did not help matters.  _ How long did it take girls to get ready?  _ Goten wondered. Even if she took a while, she still committed to hanging out with him. Luckily for Goten, the kitchen was where he remembered it. His head was in the fridge, looking for something that would be quick when he felt Bulla coming nearer and nearer.

Despite his best efforts, he became nervous in her presence and froze where he was. Bulla cleared her throat, causing Goten to just grab something and walk to the table. Goten felt Bulla's eyes on him and when he looked up from his plate, she was indeed staring at him quizzically. Goten wanted to say something but was tongue tied and struck dumb.  _ Why did I come here?  _ Like last night, he occupied himself by stuffing his mouth. A few awkward beats passed where the two teens ignored each other but fortunately for Goten, Bulla broke the silence, asking him why he came to see her. Regaining his senses, he began to explain but evidently he said the wrong thing because Bulla got inexplicably angry, terrifying Goten. She apologized for her outburst but Goten wondered if he did the right thing by coming here.

"All Trunks said was that he'd be busy helping Marron for the foreseeable future and that he heard from Marron that you'd be willing to help me navigate Age 796," he managed to get out nervously, hoping that wouldn't set her off.  _ She is beautiful but terrifying. Terrifyingly beautiful.  _ However, Bulla didn't look impressed with his explanation.

"That's okay, you don't have to," Goten hastily said, reading her expression, "Trunks said that you had been bored lately and you probably wouldn't mind a project." While that wasn't technically true, it was close enough to the truth, Goten reasoned. Once he had said that, Bulla's expression changed from skeptical to surprised "And I'll need all the help I can get," he added in case she needed convincing.

For a moment, he thought she would say no and kick him out of the house—_At least I got a meal_ _by coming here_—but instead she broke out into a radiant smile and agreed. _Maybe…should I…no…why not? _Goten decided to try his luck. "Can I have your phone number first?" Goten asked unsure. "You know, in case I have any questions during the week. I can't come over every time something in Age 796 confuses me." _There! That's the perfect reason!_

"Sure," Bulla replied. "Just don't use this as an excuse to send me whatever funny thing you've found on the internet. No one likes that," she replied rather unfazed. Goten was incredibly giddy but tried his hardest not to appear so as Bulla entered her number into his phone.  _ I am so glad I finally learned how to use that thing. _

Goten found himself being more at ease with Bulla as they ate and conversed. He found she had a wicked and clever sense of humor, dubbing him Go-teen, but he had to admit, some of it went over his head. He almost slipped up and called her a babe but caught himself at the last moment. Goten found that he wanted to know less about the world at large and more about Bulla, but she seemed reluctant to speak about herself. Then she got an impish glint in her eye and excitedly dragged Goten to another familiar place in the Briefs' house.

_ Bulla wants to spar?  _ Goten was surprised, even more so when he found out she was grounded. He should have known a girl like her would have plans on a Saturday in other circumstances. When Vegeta looked at him, Goten fully expected the older Saiyan to haul him by the back of his pants and toss him outside. Much to his shock, Bulla managed to pull the wool over her father's eyes and made the gravity room theirs for an hour.

Bulla turned to him in gleeful shock, surprised at her own manipulation, "I can't believe that worked," she whispered to him and sending a shock through his system when she grabbed his hand. Goten was fine to spar in the clothes he had on but Bulla insisted on changing out of her jeans and sweater. She went to her room and changed impossibly fast. When she came back, she was barely decent! Goten couldn't stop his eyes from wandering up and down her body. It was like she deliberately chose the least amount of clothing. She was wearing the tiniest pair of shorts he had ever seen. They were skin tight, almost obscenely short, and the waist hung below her navel, but her top—if you could call it that—was the worst offender. Bulla wore a measly sports bra that covered her breasts but not much else. Suffice to say, Goten was having a hard time keeping little Goten from getting too excited.

Not wasting time, Bulla quickly got into the fighting pose Goten easily recognized. It was the same one he had seen many times before, on Trunks, and on Vegeta. Goten smirked,  _ I guess it runs in the family.  _ Fighting he knew, fighting was easy, fighting was comfortable. "I'm excited for this," Goten couldn't help but say. Bulla was strong, he could feel it the first time he had ever felt her energy.

Goten liked to take his father's approach to fighting, which was to feel out your enemy first before making any critical moves. Bulla had the opposite strategy and went straight for his head which he easily dodged. She left her core unguarded, Goten noticed.  _ She can't be that green, trying to bait me, perhaps?  _ As the barrage of attacks wore on, Goten began to lose focus on the fight, instead he had started to pay more attention to Bulla's jiggling melons, the sports bra did nothing to keep them in place! Along with his sight, his olfactory senses were driving him insane, the more Bulla got worked up, the more he could smell her natural scents. He could barely dodge let alone counterattack while trying his damndest to keep his arousal in check. It wasn't the gravity that was causing him to pant. His lack of focus allowed Bulla to deliver a roundhouse kick to the face, sending him to the other side of the room. Much to his horror, despite his best effort, the blood rushed to little Goten.  _ What's sexier than a girl who can fight? _

Bulla stared at him oddly as he made his way out of the gravity chamber.  _ Well of course she's looking at you weird, you're walking crouched over. Normal people don't walk that way. Thank god these pants are baggy.  _ Much to his relief Bulla suggested a shower.  _ That fight gave me plenty of material for what I need to do. _

There was nothing to feel fraudulent about when he was around Bulla, she knew the whole sordid tale of him being wished down to sixteen from twenty-nine. Unlike the party he was at last night, he was able to be open and honest around her. He appreciated her choice in venue, this place had some of the best ice cream he had ever had, and the guy behind the counter wasn't stingy with the toppings on the sundaes. He seemed like a great guy.

"Wait a minute," Goten said pulling out his phone as Bulla dug into her second sundae.

"Whaa?" Bulla said, her mouth still filled with ice cream. Goten snapped a picture of her.

"Hey!" Bulla exclaimed slightly indignant, "What was that for?"

Goten looked at the candid, unflattering photo of the Saiyan princess, immediately deciding it was his favorite picture. "I needed a picture of you for my contacts," he laughed.

Bulla looked at him grumpily, "At least let me see," she pouted.

"And give you a chance to delete it? No way!" Goten said playfully.

"You already know me so well," Bulla winked and resumed digging back into her ice cream. The rest of the conversation came easily and Bulla had even hinted that there would be another outing for them in the future. All was going well in Goten's eyes, they were both finally comfortable in each other's presence, they were sharing laughs, having a good time, enjoying the obscene amount of ice cream, that is, until Bulla decided to flirt with the guy behind the counter who Goten immediately decided could go to hell.

In the minute time he had observed her, he had never seen her be nice to anyone. He had wondered why, when Bulla was primed to stay home with only himself for company, she put little effort into her outfit and overall appearance. Goten was a little surprised to see she had let down and combed her long blue hair and opted for a more revealing and well fitted outfit for their outing after they had cleaned themselves up after their spar. Now he knew why, she was probably in love with that guy with the stupid name. Goten realized, he never inquired whether Bulla had a boyfriend or not.  _ Could it be him? No…she doesn't seem that familiar with him.  _ But nevertheless, Goten sulked.

Bulla must have noticed his sour mood because she made a joke, and Goten couldn't even bring himself to crack a smile. He was polite to Bulla's friend but once she left them, he couldn't help but stew and let his ice cream melt while Bulla finished hers.

"Well uh—I guess, we're done here?" Bulla unsurely asked him, and began to leave the booth. "You're not grounded, at least you can fly home, can't you Go-teen?" While Goten was a little put out, he was more self-pitying at this moment than angry at Bulla.

"I don't mind walking home with you. I still need to pick up the clothes I left behind," Goten shrugged, following Bulla on her way home silently. He didn't feel much like talking. Truthfully, now he felt embarrassed about his jealousy. He had nothing to go on aside from Bulla being nice to the guy.  _ But what if she's only nice to the people she wants to make out with? _

Once they reached the door to her home, Bulla was the first to speak, "Well you got to know a bit about what I've been up to for the past thirteen years and got caught up on some of the latest pop culture, maybe you can try Marron next week if she's not too busy," Bulla suggested.

_ Pawning me off on Marron. Why? Do you have plans with Tux?  _ He felt his curiosity bubbling over and he blurted out, "Do you like him?"

Bulla fixed him with a confused expression, "What are you talking about?" Goten began to doubt his assumption, she really looked like she had no idea what he was asking about.

"That guy that worked at the ice cream parlor, named after clothes...just like everyone else in this city," he mumbled the last part.  _ Their names are all stupid. _

What followed next was a mini-argument and a big misunderstanding. Goten wasn't able to get an answer from her but he left in relief knowing that she hadn't known about his erection in the gravity room.

As he flew through the air, his mood began to lighten as he realized, he had done it, he had gotten her phone number. From what he knew about social media accounts, a phone number basically guaranteed finding Bulla on that one photo app. Even though he was going thousands of kilometers per hour, he chanced it and checked the contacts option in his app.

There she was, the beautiful blue haired girl who refused to be called princess, ready to be added. Bulla's profile was private, and Goten reasoned that's why he couldn't find her before, but that also meant he had to wait for her permission to add him. Once he sent his request, he stared at the word  _ Pending… _ willing it to disappear.

* * *

"I'll ask again. What do I do for a living?" Goten asked Trunks exasperatedly.

"You know those guys that train dogs for military or police duty?"

"Yeah…" Goten wondered where Trunks was going with this. Did he train dogs for a living? That wouldn't be so bad, he liked animals.

"You're the guy they put in the suit who the dogs attack."

Goten rolled his eyes and turned to his phone. True, Goten could ask any of his more reasonable family members but he quite enjoyed Trunks' imagination.

_ Pending… _ He didn't understand it, they had exchanged a few messages, what was the hold up? She knew him, he wasn't some sort of creepy stalker.

Just then, Goten felt a heavy spindly hand touch his shoulder and Trunks' soft breath by his ear.  _ What is happening?  _ Goten couldn’t help but feel cold and terrified.

"What are you looking at?" the older man asked peering over Goten's shoulder, the rush of air from Trunks’ voice to Goten’s ear made him shiver unpleasantly.

"N-nothing!" Goten quickly locked his phone, the screen turning black before Trunks could get a good look at it though he might have already had.

"Must have been more interesting than me," Trunks shrugged, then opted to sit next to Goten. "So what have you been up to, Go-teen?"

Instead of getting annoyed, Goten had to let out a snort at the nickname, "Bulla's influence is everywhere I guess."

"Oh yeah, I got an ear full about me sending 'Go-teen' her way." Trunks rolled his eyes dismissively and got up to pour himself a drink.

"She was upset?" Goten couldn't resist asking tentatively. He thought they had had a good time, his mind quickly went through several scenarios where she hated him and that's why she hadn't accepted his friend request and Goten slumped from where he was sitting on Trunks’ spacious bed.

"Not really, she was more pissed that I didn't give her a warning and she looked like shit. Her words not mine." Trunks swirled his glass around, contemplating the amber liquid and took a sip of his drink. Goten didn't know why Trunks drank that stuff, most alcohol tasted terrible and it didn't really take the edge off with their Saiyan biology. "And in my defense, how was I supposed to reach her? Mom took her phone away and I wasn't going to take time out of my day or risk bodily harm to warn her on the off chance you might show up," Trunks scoffed. "Don't know what she was so upset about, it was just you. You're one of the family." Trunks paused his diatribe for a moment, this time he looked deep in thought and opened his mouth to say something but refrained. Goten was curious what his best friend could be keeping from him, but he was more preoccupied with his feelings at the moment. He was torn between elated and disappointed,  _ Bulla cared how she looked in front of me...that's got to mean something, right? But Trunks said I was like family and he does know Bulla better than my assumptions. _

"Anyway," Trunks interrupted Goten's thoughts, "You never answered my question. It's been more than a week back at Orange Star High, how many dates do you have lined up? I have to live vicariously through someone."

"Dates?!" Goten was taken aback,  _ Did Trunks tap my phone? _ "What? None,” he protested. Sure, he had been having his fair share of flirtations but he hadn't gotten that far yet.

"The Goten I remembered was quite the ladies' man. You got more numbers than me and that's saying something 'cause look at me." Trunks gestured from him face to his body.

"Yes, you're the prettiest person in all of West City." Goten rolled his eyes but inside he was pleased at Trunks' revelation. Then remembered something, he had been wondering about his own life and hadn't been too interested in Trunks' and why would Trunks need to live vicariously through him? Goten frowned,  _ Is Trunks into teenagers? _ "What happened to Mai then? I thought you two would have been married by now the way you two carried on." Goten was more comfortable asking that than what Trunks’ romantic proclivities might be.

Trunks' face turned stern, his playful demeanor disappearing, "I meant nothing compared to two lifetimes of loyalty to Emperor Pilaf," he answered grimly before gulping the last of his drink.

"Can I get a sip of this?" Having felt guilty for bringing up something Trunks obviously didn't want to talk about, Goten gestured to Trunks' decanter filled with the mysterious amber liquid. Trunks nodded and moved to make Goten a drink.

Handing Goten the drink, Trunks sat very close to Goten, their thighs touching making Goten slightly uncomfortable.  _ If this can take the edge off Trunks then it will probably work for me.  _ Goten thought before taking a large gulp. What he tasted nearly made him spit the whole thing out.  _ I wasn't expecting that,  _ but he literally swallowed his surprise.

"This is cream soda," Goten said as a matter-of-factly to Trunks who merely gave a toothy smirk, winked, and patted his thigh.

* * *

_ Pending… _ Goten checked his phone repeatedly as he had been doing constantly for the past few days.

"Dude, you are obsessed with your phone. Are you playing a game or something?" Page tutted from where she was sitting on Penn's lap. Penn wasn't exactly Goten's biggest fan after the show he and Page put on but he was cordial enough and Goten was still welcomed into the group. It was after school and the gang was just hanging out on school grounds unsure of what to do next. Luckily, no one ever suggested Goten give them rides anywhere, he didn't know how to explain he was his own transportation. Being bored and not wanting to go home, Goten decided to do as he was doing often these days, checking his phone to see if Bulla added him.

"Yeah, Goten, why have you been staring at your phone so much?" Binder looked over Goten's shoulder to get a peek at what Goten had been staring at on his phone. Binder let out a low whistle upon seeing the smiling and winking picture of Bulla. "Wow,” Binder breathed out, but then he get out a laugh. "Dude, she hasn't even approved you to view her profile. Ouch," he said with a reassuring pat on the back.

"Hmph," Goten was slightly annoyed at Binder for pointing out the obvious but he felt it was as good a time as any to let out his frustration to his friends. "I don't get it, we've known each other for years."  _ Technically that's not a lie, maybe not the whole truth either. _

"Wait a minute, you actually know this girl, she's not just some internet model you want to see more of?" Page interjected. "Goten has a real crush?" The group suddenly turned their full attention to his person and Goten couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.

"She's cute."

"I think her hair's probably fake."

"Wait, her last name is Briefs as in—?"

Everyone had been talking at once giving their opinions on this or that. They had crowded around him to get a view of Goten's mystery girl, each saying something into Goten's ear.

"Okay, okay back off." It was getting far too crowded around him and the group stepped back from Goten giving him his space.

"Well?" Binder asked expectantly. Four pairs of eyes stared at him waiting for answer.

"What?" Goten was confused what were they waiting for?

"Do you like her? Does she like you back?" Page inquired.

Goten felt put on the spot. He didn't really have anyone to confide in regarding his crush on Bulla. The adults around him would find it weird. Trunks might ban him from his house and Pan probably wouldn't be a sympathetic ear, she was Bulla's best friend, she'd probably run off and tell her and make Bulla even more skittish around him. What was that about anyway? They constantly went through cycles of awkwardness and familiarity.

Scratching his head, Goten wondered how he should start. Of course he couldn't be entirely honest and truth be told, he didn't exactly feel great about his crush on Bulla despite the fact he couldn't help his attraction to the blue haired girl.

"I've known her since she was born…" he began figuring it was as good a place as any to start, "But it's only been a recent thing where I maybe, kind of, sort of like her," he admitted.

Grasping her hands together, Page practically swooned. "How sweet!" she cooed.

Feeling bolder, Goten continued, "I'm not sure what she thinks though. I have her phone number but I think she'd rather keep me at a distance. I don't know guys, I don't want to be pushy," he admitted. Deep down, he knew Bulla probably wasn't interested and voicing his concerns solidified it in his mind.  _ She's probably just been nice this entire time—well as nice as a daughter of Vegeta can be. _

Page tapped her chin with her index finger looking methodical, "What kind of things make you think that?"

Maybe this was a good opportunity to get insight into a girl's mind, it couldn't hurt to lay it out, could it? "When we hang out, sometimes she gets quiet and shy. I can tell she's kind of jumpy."

Page's eyes lit up in excitement, "Don't write her off! That could mean anything," she said sagely, at least Goten was trusting of Page's assumptions, he was no expert in girls' behavior. "The fact that she hangs out with you is a good sign. Even if some girls aren't straight forward, we can come up with plenty of reasons not to hang out if we don't want to."

"Is that why you were always visiting your grandma last year?" Penn interrupted jokingly. Goten laughed along with the rest of the group wondering if what Page said was true, but Goten's grumbling stomach told him he needed to hightail it home.

"Thanks for the advice, Page, but I've got to go." Goten picked up his stuff contemplating where he could take off from inconspicuously, "See you later guys."

"Keep us posted, Goten,” Page said as her parting words.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Videl, it was weird."

"And I'm telling you, Goten, I’m confident Trunks is just messing with you."

"But he gave me a saucy smirk and had his hand on my thigh." The older woman just rolled her eyes and changed the subject, "You can switch to third gear now." Goten did as he was told but wasn't ready to agree with Videl.

"There was something in his  _ eyes _ , _ "  _ Goten stage-whispered to Videl.

"Just focus on the road," she commanded.

Goten still didn't have much experience behind the wheel but he felt like he was getting the hang of it.  _ I'll get my license back from my mom in no time!  _ He thought optimistically.

"Well, how's my driving, Videl?" He could use the feedback.

"You've got the idea down but there's literally no traffic here." Videl pointed to the dirt roads and serene mountain landscape teeming with life but not of the humanoid variety. "We would need to practice on some occupied roads."

"West City?" Goten asked hopefully.  _ Would it be so bad to be cruising down those streets? Right in front of that damn Tux? _

Videl burst out laughing, "Hold your horse power there, cowboy." Goten's smile fell at the dose of reality Videl was serving him. "That's overwhelming for even the most experienced drivers," she said reassuringly, and Goten did feel a little better. "And why West City in particular? Could it be you want to impress  _ a girl? _ "

Goten went cold all over,  _ Does she know?  _ It was one thing for someone who didn't know his  _ big  _ secret to know how he felt about Bulla but Videl was family, more importantly, if he had to guess, she was on  _ Team Let's Age Goten Back Up As Soon As Possible.  _ Goten wasn't stupid, any indication that he was looking to take a permanent vacation from his old life would probably put him under lock and key. Was it so wrong for him to want to have fun?  _ What did they not understand? _

_ "I'M SIXTEEN!"  _ Oops, he hadn't meant to scream that part out loud and by Videl's startled expression, she clearly hadn't expected his outburst either. Even though the roads were unoccupied, driving in a distressed state probably wasn't a good idea. Goten remembered to shift gears before stopping and put the car in park.

"What's wrong?" Goten had heard Videl say but he didn't dare turn to her and have his expression give himself away. "I was just teasing. I mean, if there was someone in your past, you miss—I didn't mean to offend." Goten forced himself to look at her apologetic face and his heart sank as he read the guilt on her face.  _ Oh, she thinks I'm pining for some girl from my past. _

"It's okay, Videl," Goten swallowed wondering how honest he could be with his sister-on-law. She wasn't a Son or a Briefs, therefore she was more sensible than the rest of his friends and family, would she understand his predicament? "I just feel guilty navigating the world as it is now. I'm a sixteen year old kid, I don't remember being old, and I want to do teenage stuff but I have people reminding me it's only temporary. What should I do?" he looked at Videl earnestly, maybe she had some answers.

Videl looked at him sympathetically, "I'm going to ignore that old comment but I think I understand where you're coming from. Unfortunately, I think this is a lose-lose situation."

Goten's heart sank, if someone as wise as Videl thought the situation was doomed how could he hope to navigate this life? However, Videl wasn't done yet.

"You start living like you should and you get attached to your friends, maybe a girlfriend and you don't want to go back to your old life. You live like you know this dream is going to end any second and you're miserable for months." Videl said sadly. "I feel for you kid, but maybe there can be a middle ground? Maybe you should hang out with Pan and Bulla, they know the deal. You could act like the kid you are with them and they'll have no expectations," she offered though she didn't sound very convicted in her own plan.

"What if Bulla has a boyfriend though?" Goten hadn't forgotten Tux, "And Pan hasn't been my biggest fan either."

"Pan is still acting like a brat? I need to have a talk with that girl—"

"No! Don't!" Goten pleaded, "I think that will just make things worse between us, I think she'll come around eventually." he said though his own voice was unsure.

"Fine, I won't but you don't need to worry about stepping on anybody's toes, Bulla doesn't have a boyfriend—well she did but they broke up. She's a free woman now, and even if she wasn’t, I don't see why she can't be your friend. She’s got a good heart," Videl offered kindly. Then out of nowhere, her phone started going off.

"What's—" Goten began to ask but Videl had put her finger up to silence him while she looked at her message.

"Sorry, Goten," Videl started as she unstrapped herself from her seat and floated above the convertible. "I need to go, work emergency."

Goten was a little disappointed, "Even on weekends?"

"Earth's special forces don't get a break," Videl stated wearily before she took off.

* * *

"Mom, why are you making so many cookies?" The smell had been driving him to distraction and he could hardly focus on his homework. Goten stared down at the textbook in his hand and the notebook with his work on it trying to make sense of it. Goten had to leave his room to find out what was up and saw trays upon trays of fresh baked cookies.

"Hmm…? No reason," ChiChi said somewhat unconvincingly and quickly returned to her work, stirring the dough she was making. That was a little weird, in fact, his mom had been super weird lately. She was nothing at all how he remembered. His imagination went a little wild wondering if he'd been kidnapped and was only told some elaborate lie about a dragon ball wish...but then again, his mom seemed to be the only one that was  _ off. _

_ She did still go after dad with the frying pan... _

Shoving a few cookies in his mouth, Goten pivoted back to his room, ready to get back to the books.

Then like it always had, Bulla's energy cut through his senses as the door shook from her powerful knocking. Goten stayed frozen in place as his beaming mom opened the door to a distracted blue haired girl sniffing about.

Quickly, his mother gave Bulla a hug and led her to the kitchen. "Bulla! I'm so glad you stopped by! I don't know what I was thinking!" ChiChi made a show of slapping her forehead. "I made so many cookies, Goten and I couldn't possibly finish them all! Have some!" She said handing out a tray to Bulla who readily accepted it. She sounded a little fake to Goten's ears but whatever. He started to make his way back to his room, this time actually hoping Bulla hadn't noticed him, he was looking particularly sloppy with a stained plain white t-shirt and gym shorts that had been through multiple wears without being washed. His hair was a little greasy and messy but his hair was always messy. He ran a hand through it thinking he may need to cut it soon lest it grow out into his dad's signature spikes.

Goten was out of luck however. He felt his mom's rough hands on his shoulders guide him to the table where she pushed him down onto a chair, a chair next to a disinterested Bulla inhaling cookies.

"Why don't you do your homework out here, honey?" his mother suggested sweetly. "It's better than being cooped up in your room. A change of environment might help on that problem you're stuck on." It was at that moment that Bulla deigned to look in his direction. He felt his face heat up at her seeing him in this state.

"Hmm, guess we're even," a chipper Bulla said smiling like the cat that got the cream before returning to munching her cookies and ignoring him.

Goten did as he was told and took the pencil out from behind his ear and attempted to get past the problem he had been stuck on. Frustrated, he threw down his pencil and folded his arms, he needed a break. He threw his head back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down and approach the problem with a clearer head. Then he heard his textbook being slid away from him. He opened one eye to see Bulla looking over the problem and his homework. Goten couldn't help but be a little embarrassed he wasn't smart like Gohan. This type of high school work was probably laughably easy to Bulla.

"Yup, I can see why this is confusing, sometimes they purposely try to tip you up with the wording," Bulla said still staring at his work, not even looking at him. His full attention was on her now as she picked up his pencil and began erasing some things.

"Hey! I need that!" Goten protested.

"No you don't," Bulla stated, no room for argument. She motioned for Goten to move closer and soon he was peering over her shoulder, so close to her that he could feel her fine blue hair brush against his cheek.

Normally, his head would be swimming but he had lost patience with his math homework and was ready to just get it over with and if Bulla knew what to do, he was going to pay attention.

_ Bulla makes more sense than my teachers!  _ Goten thought as they breezed through the rest of his math homework. Finally, Goten felt like he could relax and help himself to some of the cookies Bulla had been enjoying and started to chat with her, not bothering to put any space between them, she hadn't seemed to mind.

"You all done, honey?" ChiChi asked, having come over probably having heard them talk after a period of silence.

"Yup, thanks to Bulla!" Goten had to give the credit to her. While he couldn't say this stuff was easy for him, it did become less difficult. Bulla was patient and helped him understand what he was doing, his affection for her was soaring.

"That's great!" she replied and then ChiChi made a show of acting like she had just been hit with a brilliant idea. "I know! Bulla, why don't you come over once in a while and help Goten?" she asked putting the teen girl on the spot. Goten looked to an amused Bulla.  _ Please say yes. _

"There will be snacks in it for you," ChiChi said putting a plate of noodles in front of Bulla.

"Yeah, I can do that," Bulla agreed giving Goten a mysterious smile, if he had to guess, it looked a little devious but Goten felt relief nonetheless. He watched her as she began loudly slurping her noodles. He looked to his mom with the biggest puppy eyes he could muster.

"Nuh uh," his mother denied him with folded arms. "You want a plate, you grab it yourself." Both he and Bulla let out a snort of laughter and Goten went to get his own noodles. He was a little disappointed because he had no reason to be in such close physical proximity to Bulla anymore but he enjoyed her company regardless.

"So do you just hang out here all the time? You know you have a bachelor pad in West City, don’t you?" Bulla asked softly, not loud enough for his mom to hear from the other room.

Goten wasn't really interested in his past—or was it future?—life and he didn't really get why Bulla cared so much either.

"My mom took the keys," he said disinterestedly and shoved some more noodles in his mouth, taking his time to chew.

"That's a shame, because, you know, I would love to see your apartment," Bulla smiled sweetly at him.  _ Why?  _ Goten was certainly puzzled. It was probably just like his house here.  _ What's so interesting about that?  _ A wicked part of him wondered if she wanted to get him alone without adult supervision. His more rational side countered that she hadn't even given him permission to look at her online profiles.  _ Well, how can it hurt? _

Goten swallowed his noodles before answering, "Okay. I'll try."

* * *

Goten had to get away as fast as he could but he had to keep his energy low in case she tried to follow him.  _ Where to hide?  _ Goten felt the unfamiliar weight in his pocket as he remembered that technically he had his own sanctuary, he could hide out there until Pan went home. Being neighbors meant that his mom and Pan's parents would be around to pull her off him in case she started wailing on him, but ChiChi had never intervened in any of their spars before and Gohan and Videl weren't home. Even if he kept his energy low, Pan would probably still be able to sniff him out if he was anywhere near Mount Paozu.

Coming to a decision, he hightailed it to the unfamiliar apartment he just visited trying to remember the way. It was incredibly difficult considering he couldn't use Capsule Corp as a familiar starting point, he still felt Pan's furious energy, she actually seemed even angrier than when he last left her.  _ Guess our relationship won't be improving anytime soon. _

Eventually, Goten made it to the unfamiliar building he had just been to today. He followed Trunks' example and just flopped on the couch, drained by the day he had. Goten couldn't help but smile though, it was another day spent with Bulla but then he frowned thinking how it had ended as awkwardly as per usual.

In time, Goten got bored of just lying there and decided to do what he had been afraid of earlier, actually exploring his old domicile. What he found was a disappointment but he was more worried if he found something he liked about his older life. Gohan and Videl weren’t back on Mount Paozu yet, he might as well do something instead of just laying there.

Goten went back to the bedroom to look more into adult Goten's phone. He had been tickled by all the messages left for him but upon reading them quickly found they had been casual dates from days gone by and never went anywhere. Even though it was technically his own phone, Goten felt like he had no business snooping in his older self's phone, especially now having a phone himself and understanding the sanctity of privacy.  _ That's not me _ , he thought as he stared at the pictures of his older self surrounded by friends, recognizing some other faces that popped up frequently.

Looking around the room, Goten wondered if he and Bulla had missed some spots.  _ Probably, it wasn't exactly a thorough search.  _ Shrugging, Goten went to his closet wondering if he'd want to take some things home with him. His denial of his future only went so far, after all. Searching through the dress pants and shirts produced nothing, they were all too big anyway. It seems Goten would still have some growing to do, that thought pleased him. That's when he noticed something as he looked through his jackets.  _ There's a shelf here. _

Pushing the jackets to the side, Goten noticed the shelf was mostly empty aside from a small safe. Curiously, Goten grabbed it and sat on the bed examining it. With his energy as low as he could make it, the safe was a little heavy but compact enough that he could hold it in his hands. He shook it and heard a few things clattering inside. He cringed wondering if he had caused any damage.

"Only one way to find out what's inside," he muttered to himself. Luckily for Goten, there was no lock or dial on the safe, but a fingerprint scanner. Goten was more anticipating than dreading finding out was inside. On his first try the scanner lit up green and he heard the safe click open.

Peering inside he saw a few capsules,  _ Better not try to open them here,  _ and a small black velvet box.  _ Jewelry?  _ Intrigued, Goten flipped open the box.  _ Maybe a gift for my mom? _

No, he wouldn't have been planning to give his mother this, a simple ring with a sizable diamond in the center. Goten's stomach churned looking at what was clearly an engagement ring, a ring meant for  _ somebody _ .

_ Maybe I'm keeping it safe for someone else?  _ Goten rushed to check his messages looking for any indication he was keeping the ring for a friend but there was no mention of rings or any type of jewelry. If there was any consolation, he saw Bulla had finally accepted his online request to view her profile but he couldn't revel in that fact now.  _ Wait a minute, wrong phone.  _ Still, looking at old Goten’s phone gave no further clarity.

Delicately, taking the dainty ring from where it was safely nestled in its box, Goten examined the object with shaky hands. On the inside, Goten noticed an inscription, he caught his own name engraved in cursive writing and immediately put the damn thing back in its box, not wanting to see who else's name could have been there.

* * *

"Nah, don't bother with Chiffon, she's just a tease," Trunks said as he handed Goten the soda he just poured. "You were always a true romantic," Trunks waxed nostalgically. "Holding out hope for the one, but I better tell you now, Chiffon is not it," the older man shook his head.

After finding the secret engagement ring in his apartment, he hadn’t cared if Pan was still around Capsule Corp primed to give him a beating. It might have even made him feel better, he could focus on the physical pain instead of the stress this newest revelation brought him. Goten had felt the need to seek out the wisdom and comfort of his oldest and closest friend but when it was time to actually seek answers, Goten froze and lamely asked about Chiffon. Hadn't Trunks said Goten hadn't been seeing anyone? Maybe it was old, something from a broken engagement? Goten was afraid to find out the answer so he didn't ask.

"I finally know what I do for a living now," Goten offered not knowing what to say.  _ Keep it light. _

"Haha, yeah, that was fun while it lasted," Trunks snorted.

"What were you going to say next?"

"One of those shady guys in trench coats that flash unsuspecting women," Trunks laughed at his own cleverness.

"What?! That's not a job! How would you even make a living off of that?" Goten was appalled, he never would have believed that was his job but he had to give Trunks points for creativity.

"You distract them while your friend Jewels steals their wallets," Trunks said simply.

"So you would have me believe I'm a sex offender criminal?" Goten asked unamused.

"If the shoe fits," Trunks smiled into his drink as he took a sip.

Feeling more comfortable, Goten thought to ask Trunks about the engagement ring he found but thought better of it. What if he pushed Goten to find this woman? Rush to Namek once their dragon balls were recharged to age him back up as soon as possible? Then everything would be ruined. He was finally expanding his close social circle beyond Trunks, he was actually interested in some of his school work, he knew what he wanted to do with his life and it wasn't being a bank teller. No, it was best to keep this buried.


	11. Underneath It All

_ Goten remembered a time when the loud sounds and blaring lights excited him, it meant a girl on each of his arms without a care in the world, now it was just sensory overload and him stressing over bills and responsibilities with a side of guilt for spending money. Still, Goten followed Trunks’ lead and joined him at one of the trendiest clubs in West City. As Goten made the approach he noted the line of people queueing to get in.  _ Hopefully, Trunks put me on the list this time or I’m leaving.  _ Goten found with age, he had less patience for trivial things. _

_ Making his way to the front of the line, he heard offers from beautiful young women—and men—to be his for the night if he could get them in. Goten had to laugh and shake his head. These days he preferred women his own age, looking at the queue behind him now, he noted this crowd skewed young, most looked like they were too young to even get in.  _ I wonder how many fake IDs the bouncer is going to confiscate tonight.

_ Goten approached the security guards, gave his name, was patted down for weapons, and then ushered behind the velvet rope. He could hear his disappointed admirers groan, but some still thought to offer themselves. Their voices were drowned out as he entered and encountered the overwhelming bass line that he was sure he could feel much more acutely than the other patrons. People. People everywhere, practically children. Goten shook his head lamenting how old he felt, he already felt exhausted by this scene. Using his senses to locate Trunks—-knowing it would be much more effective than scanning the crowd with his eyes—-he made his way through the horde.  _ Got ‘im.

_ When Goten found Trunks he was surprised to see the lavender haired Saiyan sitting all alone slumped over the bar, paying no attention to the throng of young people surrounding him and elbowing him for space. Goten frowned wondering how exactly he was going to be able to approach his best friend. _

_ Trunks must have sensed him because he perked up and somehow managed to shoo away the people around him long enough to squeeze Goten into the seat next to him. Once Goten sat, the other half-Saiyan greeted him with a raise of his glass—a colorful cocktail with an umbrella—not even bothering to stand up. “Goten, my main man! How long has it been?” Luckily, it was quieter by the bar area and they could hear one another. _

_ Goten pretended to think, “A few months, I’d say, ever since you landed your first job at the nubile age of twenty-nine,” but Trunks already knew that. “What’s it like being a working man?” _

_ “Kind of exciting, makes the days go faster.” That was a first for Goten, the workdays just dragged on for him. “And how goes the work front for you then?” Trunks ended with a question. _

_ “You know I don’t like talking about that,” Goten muttered. _

_ “You always say that when I ask. Besides, you asked me about work first.”  _ Dammit, he’s right. “ _ What bothers you so much about it?” _

_ “I’ve been working at the same place for years and not once have I been promoted,” Goten lamented. Every year he saw people hired after him move up while he stayed behind as a teller, a machine could do his job. _

_ “You can’t blame them Goten, clearly you have no passion for banking, I think they know it’s just a job for you to put bread on the table,” Trunks offered. “And if anyone should feel shame in their work it’s me, I just got my first job and it’s in the mailroom.”  _

_ “But you were always going to be somebody regardless,” Goten pointed out. He didn’t feel his and Trunks’ situations were comparable. Goten had to work to survive, it was all a game to Trunks, he never had to prove himself. _

_ “Yeah, because of who my mom is, not because of anything I’ve ever done or ever will do,” he said full of nonchalance. Goten wondered if the truth actually bothered him and if he was putting on an act with his lack of concern. _

_ “It still must be nice not having to worry about money,” Goten said eyeing the price of drinks at this place and changing the subject, he wasn’t going to argue with Trunks.  _ Yup, it’s going to be the cheapest beer on tap for me.

_ “Yeah, it is pretty nice,” Trunks admitted with a smug smile. “You can put your wallet away, by the way.” Goten did so but made no move to order. “What about the romance front? Still looking for ‘the one’?” he said almost mockingly. _

_ Goten wasn’t as abashed at discussing this part of his life though there wasn’t much to tell. “A few dates here and there. I haven’t really been clicking with anyone,” Goten revealed. _

_ “New flames or from your little black book? Maybe you already met your soulmate,” Trunks suggested, his words making Goten freeze.  _

_ “Oh god, I hope not,” he couldn’t help but blurt out making Trunks give him a bemused look. _

_ “Did you know I had a date with Marron?” Goten offered unprompted, hoping Trunks wouldn’t ask what his outburst was about. _

_ “What? You didn’t tell me this!” Trunks looked fully animated now. “Why didn’t I get a date with Marron?” Trunks questioned almost pouting, Goten’s distraction seemingly working. _

_ “It was awkward as hell, that’s why,” Goten recalled the date with his childhood friend, how he had tried not to be queasy when he picked her up at her door, she was like his sister and that date solidified it! _

_ “Why did you even ask her out then?” Trunks complained, perhaps offended on Marron’s part.  _

_ “Krillin and to a lesser extent my mom,” Goten began to explain. “She thought I should have been married by twenty-four and I think Marron was the most palpable option for her,” he paused thinking back to all the girls he had seriously dated, “Seriously, she hates every woman who has had the misfortune to meet her, and Krillin has this weird hero worship boner for my dad. He was getting off on the possibility of becoming in-laws.”  _

_ “Well when you put it like that, it’s totally gross. Thanks for making me think of Krillin’s boner.” Trunks took a chug of his girly cocktail drink. “So it was parental interference that made it weird?” _

_ “No,” Goten was honest, “It’s just my mom’s idea of a blind date is an arranged marriage. And for it to be  _ ** _Marron_ ** _ ,” he shuddered. _

_ “Then why was it weird? My dad keeps wanting me to visit Universe 6, and I think I know why,” Trunks said shifty-eyed. _

_ “It was like forcing myself to get romantic with my sister,” Goten nearly gagged. “We’ve pretty much been hanging out with her since forever so it felt like I was crossing a huge line. All I can ever see her as is that noseless little girl.”  _

_ “What lines might you be willing to cross?” Trunks winked at him playfully. It was no good to think about that and he didn’t want to.  _

_ “Anyway, Krillin probably doesn’t want you to date his daughter because he doesn’t like you. Why would he encourage his daughter to date someone he arrested?” Goten said instead of answering, “Or maybe it’s because that other version of you murdered his wife in another timeline,” he said after thinking a bit. _

_ “You can call it murder, personally I think it was justice.” Trunks’ smile fell soon after he had said that. “Or maybe because—” he cut himself off frowning. “Remember that time you were a fucking idiot and broke my precious baby sister’s heart?” _

_ Goten groaned in shame. He hated when Trunks brought that up. “Please don’t remind me, I still feel terrible for that.” It wasn’t one of his greatest moments, actually it probably ranked among his worst, which he had to admit wasn’t saying a lot as he never really got up to anything.  _ All because of what Baba had told me... _ “She never forgave me,” he said quietly. _

_ “Relax, Goten, you’re thinking too highly of yourself. I guarantee you Bulla doesn’t.” Trunks was back to his smiles now that he had Goten to make fun of. “Seriously, a week later she was fine, and it got back to your mom so you ended up getting yours,” Trunks began to let out a chuckle. _

_ “Excuse me!” a shrill voice from behind them diverted their attention. “Are you just going to take up space so the rest of us can’t order?” a clearly vexed young woman asked impatiently.  _

_ “Sorry,” Trunks muttered, he hailed over the bartender who came rushing over, “Get this girl whatever she and her friends want and put it on my tab, Tom.” Trunks turned back to the now astonished looking girl, “Happy?” he asked not unkindly, quirking his eyebrow up. _

_ “That’s um…” she seemed at a loss for words, “...really nice. Thank you,” she said sincerely. Tom the bartender took her order and sent her on her way laden with alcoholic drinks. _

_ “Kill ‘em with kindness,” Trunks toasted Goten, though Goten still hadn’t had the opportunity to order anything. _

_ “You know, Krillin never forgave me,” Trunks let out a deep breath. _

_ Thinking Trunks was still joking around about murdering Eighteen, Goten laughed. “Oh come on, even this timeline’s Eighteen would agree her counterpart needed killing.”  _

_ “No, not that,” Trunks dismissed. There was a long pause where neither of the best friends said anything. Goten was silent waiting for Trunks to say something while the other man seemed to be struggling with his words. “After I took Bulla home, she wouldn’t stop crying and when I tried to comfort her, I made it worse.” Trunks stopped again, this time to take a sip from the drink he had been nursing, “She asked for Marron and not knowing what else to do, I begged her to come.” Trunks shook his head at his younger self. “I found out later I made Marron cancel her first date because I was such a shitty big brother that I chickened out and made a fifteen year old girl take my place.” _

_ “That’s…” Goten was at a loss for words and he too felt guilty at his younger self’s actions. He had no idea what had happened to Bulla after the incident and he was ashamed to realize he hadn’t even thought about it or how it had snowballed to include Marron.  _ That does explain the surprise beating she gave me...

_ “I know,” Trunks said in understanding. “But hey, don’t let your ex-girlfriend, Bulla, ruin other women for you,” Trunks said seemingly trying to lighten the mood. “What about that one over there,” he gestured to a group of girls but at no one specific. _

_ “Trunks, they look barely legal. I’m twenty-eight and they’re probably closer to Bulla’s age than ours.” _ Now that’s a scary thought. _ From what he knew of her, he didn’t think Bulla was impulsive enough to sneak into a club, but his niece sure as hell was, he did a quick scan—visually and with his other senses—of the area to make sure she wasn’t there. “And stop referring to Bulla as my ex. People are going to get the wrong idea,” he snapped while Trunks’ sniggered at his own recurring joke. _

_ “But it’s funny,” was his only response. “Besides, no one says you have to marry any of them. What’s wrong with just having a little fun?” _

_ Goten sighed. Here was the crux of the matter. “That’s the problem. I’m tired of just having fun. I want something real, to build something, to grow...” Goten stopped, that all sounded really lame to his ears. _

_ “Son Goten, the true romantic,” Trunks mused. “So what? You think you’ll just have a chance encounter, everything will fall into place and you won’t have to lift a damned finger? How do you expect to meet anyone if you don’t put in the effort?” _

_ “Hey, it could happen,” Goten replied weakly but he knew Trunks was right. He would get nowhere by doing nothing. He did need to be proactive considering the alternative…”Do you believe in destiny?” Goten cut in. _

_ _

_ “If I did, I wouldn’t be here right now. Life is what you make it, as cliché as that sounds, and as cliché as that phrase is,” Trunks said somewhat jaded. “Why? Do you?” _

_ Not wanting to show all his cards, Goten kept some things to himself. “I hope you’re right,” was all Goten offered. _

_ They stopped talking and Goten  _ ** _finally _ ** _ ordered his drink ensuring the rest of their evening was lighter than how it started out. They chatted up some girls and Goten even exchanged numbers with a girl named Velvet. Much to Goten’s relief, she was twenty-five. _

_ When the night wound down, Goten bid farewell to Trunks who waved him off, walking wobbly down the street in another direction. If they weren’t half-Saiyan, Goten would have had to ensure Trunks’ arrival home safely but seeing as no human or weapon on Earth was a match for them, he let his friend see himself home.  _

_ Goten watched Trunks until the older man was out of sight. So unaware was he that he hadn’t even noticed anyone around him and promptly bumped into a young woman once he turned around to go home. Perhaps, he wasn’t as unaffected by the night as he thought.  _

_ Before he saw her, he felt a faint familiar energy that he couldn’t quite place. When he looked to address and apologize to the woman he bumped into, the first thing he noticed were her blue eyes, then a bright smile formed on her beautiful face, making Goten’s heart skip a beat. _

_ “Don’t worry. I’m fine, Goten,” she assured him, “It really has been a long time. Still spatially unaware, I see,” she added playfully. _

_ “Cami,” he breathed out stunned. _

* * *

Eventually. That was what they had agreed upon. Goten would tell her what he had found out  _ eventually. _

Truth be told, Bulla preferred it that way. Didn’t everyone always say, “ignorance is bliss”? She resolved to be happy these next few months and if Goten disclosing anything was going to ruin it, she decided she would rather not hear it and she told him as much, much to his immense relief.

That’s why she was here, waiting for Goten in Satan City and not dwelling over any heart-shattering revelation. He had told her to meet him here and Bulla was nothing if not punctual. Satan City wasn’t as big nor as populated as any of the other major cities, but it was still teeming with nightlife, if anything it seemed to thrive on it, a city full of amusements. The sun was still out for the moment but she knew it would be setting soon and if she was still out here when it got dark, it wouldn’t be safe for Satan City’s criminals.

Bulla didn’t have to wait long for Go-teen. Soon enough after she had gotten there, he had pulled up in an old classic red convertible. He looked like a bad boy from one of those old movies, clad in his leather jacket and sunglasses. Before she could ask where he got such a chick magnet, he lowered his sunglasses at her and spoke, “Hey little lady, need a ride?”  _ Sometimes he’s too much.  _ Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the full-blown smile off her face. She opted not to say anything and just reached for the door handle to let herself in. 

“No!” Goten broke character, rushed out of his side of the car, and slid across the hood like an action hero so he could be the one to open the door for her.

“And they say chivalry is dead,” Bulla commented before sliding into the passenger’s seat. She took in the interior of the car, all the gauges, clean and simple, and old, nothing digital like one would see in a modern car. She saw the horse symbol in the middle of the steering wheel and did a double-take, her eyes going wide. “Where did you get this?” she asked in awe turning to the smug Goten who was letting himself into the driver’s side. “You didn’t ‘borrow’ it, did you?” Bulla narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. 

“This baby is all mine courtesy of the dragon balls,” Goten said lovingly stroking the dashboard.

Yes, Bulla remembered that fateful day he had shown up in her living room. They didn’t know any more than they did now, but the phrasing of the wish did indeed grant Goten a car. 

“Well, Go-teen, what do you have planned for us?” Bulla’s curiosity was bubbling over and she found herself excited about what Goten may have in store for the two of them.

“I’m wining and dining you, taking you on a proper date for once,” he declared proudly. Bulla melted on the spot.  _ He looks so proud.  _ She didn’t need fancy dates, that’s not why she adored Goten.

Bulla was still no doubt charmed and amused by this whole charade. “In that case, weren’t you supposed to pick me up from my house and bring me flowers?” she teased. Knowing Goten, he’d probably hit himself for such a misstep, but instead he reached in front of her and opened the glove compartment where she was greeted by the sight of wildflowers.

“My, you think of everything,” she said in appreciation, taking the flowers in her hand and giving them a smell.  _ So sweet.  _ “Did you pick these yourself?”

“Yeah,” the tips of his ears turning red. Bulla could only imagine him painstakingly picking the best of the bunch around the woods near his home. “Anyway,” he said, changing the subject, “I couldn’t pick you up in this baby. Obviously, it would probably take weeks to drive this thing all the way to West City from my house,” he stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Well, how did you get it here then? Did you really drive twelve hours from Mount Paozu to here and are you really going to drive twelve hours back?” Bulla asked in disbelief.

“Fine,” Goten admitted, “I had to pick it up myself and fly it over here.”

“Aw, all for little ol’ me?” she theatrically gushed, nonetheless she rewarded him with a peck on the cheek, making him perk up a little bit. “Well, I don’t care how it got from point A to point B, show me what this baby can do.”

“As my lady commands,” he said as he expertly changed gears and took to the road. Bulla fiddled with the radio trying to find a station she liked.

“Ooh, keep it on that one! I love this song!” Goten broke his concentration on his driving for a moment when Bulla found a classic rock station. “We should go to one of their concerts.”

“Goten, they broke up years ago. There is no more band,” and there was also the fact she didn’t want to go see them anyway. It was times like these that the generational differences were so apparent between the two of them. 

“Maybe they’ll have a reunion concert!” Goten seemed unfazed.  _ Ever the optimist. _

“They broke up because the lead singer died,” Bulla stated quietly. Goten was silent after that and it was a little awkward for a few beats.

“Was it a natural death? Maybe we can resurrect her with the dragon balls!” he said breaking the silence.

Bulla couldn’t help but burst out laughing at his hopeful solution. Then they spent the rest of the car ride comfortably discussing which celebrities or historical figures they could resurrect. 

Bulla made her decision as to who she would bring back to life if she had the opportunity, “I’d save those dogs the Red Ribbon Army shot up into space to test their space crafts and didn’t make it back to Earth.”

“Ooh good one, that gets my vote too,” Goten agreed as they pulled up to a fancy restaurant. The valets were practically frothing at the mouth when they saw the car they would get to park and therefore drive. Goten reluctantly handed over the keys but not before the valet fell down trying to grab the keys from Goten’s death grip.

“Ms. Briefs!” she was greeted by a sharp dressed man upon entering the luxurious building. The walls were white and fully pristine, large crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceilings above round tables decorated with decadent candles and elaborate floral bouquets, and large windows overlooked the nightlife of Satan City. This place was not Bulla’s scene at all but she didn’t have the heart to tell Goten.  _ He looks so pleased with himself.  _ Never mind the fact that neither she nor Goten were properly dressed for such an establishment—she in a short sleeved sundress and sandals and Goten with a plain white t-shirt and aforementioned leather jacket—though that didn’t seem to bother the eager man practically tripping over himself rushing toward them.

“Ms. Briefs!” he repeated her name again and enthusiastically shook her hand voraciously. “Good to meet you! My name is Colby Cook, the owner of this fine eating establishment, Le Restau Coûteux,” he said the name of the restaurant in an exaggerated accent, “Let me show you to your table personally.” He practically pushed the two youngsters to a table directly in the middle of the dining room before Bulla could even address why this guy even knew her name.

The so-called Colby Cook snapped his fingers and waiters in white tuxedo jackets and black bow ties came to pull out the chairs for the two teens. As soon as they sat, the same expert waiters unfolded the napkins that had been elaborately folded on the table and placed them on their laps. Her family may have been the richest in the world but Bulla had never dined like this, and looking at Goten, neither had he.

They were poured sparkling water without asking for any, and then their team of waiters had placed a small portion of fish in front of them.

“Aren’t we going to see a menu?” Bulla turned to the mechanical waiters before they could bring something and walk away at lightning speed again. They were highly efficient but they didn’t say a damn thing and it creeped her out a little.

“It’s a tasting menu, Bulla,” Goten was the one to tell her as he wolfed down the bite of fish that had been brought. “Savor it,” he said with his mouth full.

“He’s right Ms. Briefs.” the restauranteur affirmed while staring daggers at the uncouth Goten. “You’ll be served ten of the most spectacular courses in small portions throughout the evening,” he explained to her, kissing the tips of his fingers. “Enjoy your meal Ms. Brief,.” he said before departing, never acknowledging Goten. “And make sure your mother knows there is a table waiting for her at any time.”

“Oh man, that was so good,” Goten said after swallowing. “Better eat yours or I might take it.”

Bulla speared the small piece of fish and lifted it to her mouth skeptically, she didn’t eat the whole piece but took a small tentative bite. Her eyes widened.

“Oh my god, this is amazing!” she gushed to an extremely pleased looking Goten. “Now I know how Whis feels when he tries something new.”  _ Too bad this will never be enough. _

Goten seemed to read her thoughts, “Don’t worry, I know a good pizza place,” he whispered to her, so quiet, lest the robot waiters hear. 

“To our first proper date.” He raised his flute of sparkling water to her. 

For once in her life, Bulla didn’t just shovel food in her mouth, though it was a struggle. This was turning out to be the best meal of her life, usually, she went for quantity over quality. Looking around at the other patrons she noted she and Goten were easily the youngest people there.

“No offense Goten, but how could  _ you  _ afford this place let alone get us the best table?” she inquired to her boyfriend who looked like he just climaxed after tasting the wagyu beef course.

“First, I coordinated it through Capsule Corp. When I tried calling they said they were booked, but they’ll find a table for Bulma Briefs’ daughter if you go through the proper channels,” Goten shrugged. “And I made some money when my dad and I were out and about buying presents for your mom. Did you know there’s quite a lot of zeni to be made betting on yourself in street fights?” he explained innocently.

“Wait, what? Hold up. Your dad buys presents for my mom?” She was more interested in that than Goten earning money from prizefighting and the fact that he was blowing it quickly and  _ on her _ . She had a feeling ChiChi had no idea about Goten’s side hustle.

“Oh yeah, pretty much every time he comes back from training he takes me to the city so we can pick up something nice for your mom,” he said more interested in the first dessert course than questioning why his dad was buying presents for his girlfriend’s mom.

Bulla opted to ignore that piece of information and just resolved to enjoy the most sublimely tasting meal of her life but as she predicted, when all was said and done, she was still hungry.

Colby Cook wasn’t about to let them just leave, however. Bulla had noticed him watching all evening, ready to pounce when they were done. He rushed over with a folder in his hand, once again, completely ignoring Goten and going straight to Bulla. “Ms. Briefs, did you enjoy your meal?” he asked earnestly.

“Yes, I did. Thank you,” she said curtly, trying to get away from the overbearing man.

“Then would you mind passing along this resume?” he handed her the folder, almost anxiously Bulla noticed. “It’s my son’s, he’s in school for mechanical engineering. It would mean the world to us if you could forward this to your internship program,” he said smiling looking nervous.  _ Ah, now it all makes sense.  _ Bulla softened,  _ Dude just wants to do right by his kid. _

“Of course,” the man let out a sigh of relief. “And I’ll put in a good word,” she added. He practically beamed at her.

Surprising her, Colby Cook turned to Goten, who he had been ignoring the whole evening and shot him a grateful look. “Thank you so much for choosing my restaurant. I hope you enjoyed yourself as well,” the restaurateur said shaking a slightly embarrassed Goten’s hand appreciatively. 

“He was nice,” Goten simply said after the two teenagers made their way out of the building. After Goten wrestled his keys back from the reluctant valet, they were headed to Goten’s pizza place.

“Okay, that may have been the most delicious meal of my life,” Bulla told her date in mild disbelief. “What on Earth possessed you to pick that place?”

“I do my research,” was all he said. “Maybe it’s not the best in the world but it’s the best we have here.” He looked thoughtful for a second, “We can try the best place in the world some other day,” he resolved.

“So how long have you been planning this?” she inquired curiously. Goten had seemed to methodically plan out every aspect. He picked her wildflowers, hauled a three-ton car, and saved enough money to take her to one of—if not  _ the— _ most upscale restaurant in Satan City.

“When you took me back the second time,” he turned to her smiling dopily. Bulla wondered if he was imagining the night of her birthday and felt her cheeks flush.

“So a week ago?” She was a little taken aback by how much effort had put into this date idea of his.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he said like it was no big deal.

“You really don’t have to go to all the trouble for me,” Bulla assured him. She couldn’t remember the last time someone who she didn’t pay went out of their way for her. Mom and dad were more or less hands-off parents, and Trunks had all but ignored her until a few months ago.

“What makes you say that? You deserve all the nice things,” Goten said simply like it was a matter of fact, like he was saying the sky was blue, without any hint of sarcasm.  _ God, he’s so simple and pure. _ Bulla felt that warm feeling in her stomach disperse itself throughout her body. “But you are trouble,” he said turning to grin at her which served only to intensify that feeling.

They parked and Goten, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her before she could, the same thing when they walked into the pizza parlor. If they weren’t sitting at a booth, she suspected he would have pulled her chair out for her.

“I’m going to get two large pies with all the toppings,” Goten told her. “What do you want?”

Out of nowhere, Bulla heard someone choke back a laugh.

“You show no interest in any girl at Orange Star High and now I know why,” a deep, vaguely familiar voice said from behind Bulla. She turned to see a boy she had seen before but couldn’t place. For some reason she thought looking at his shirt would give an indication as to who he was…

“Hey, Binder!” Goten greeted his friend with a handshake.  _ Oh right!  _ Realization dawned on Bulla.  _ From the party!  _ Ugh, she had acted the fool but Goten had been so sweet and remembering that night made a smile form on her face.  _ Kind of wish  _ ** _I would have _ ** _ kissed him.  _ “Is everyone here?” Goten looked over the other boy’s shoulders deeper into the restaurant.

“Yeah, we told you to come out with us but you said you had a hot date,” he addressed the last part to Bulla wiggling his eyebrows. “You’re the girl from West City,” he stated rather than asked.

“You remember me?” Bulla asked skeptically.

“Of course, you’re not easily forgotten,” he winked at her. “It’s the hair,” he offered by way of explanation.

“Oh my god Binder, just get to the point and ask them to join our table,  _ politely, _ ” another person invited themselves into their conversation. This time it was a blonde girl Bulla immediately recognized, feeling the familiar stab of jealousy in her chest.

When no one said anything more, Page took it upon herself to extend the offer herself. “Hi, I’m Page,” she extended her hand to Bulla which the blue-haired girl reluctantly took, “Me and other friends of Goten’s from school are at that table over there,” she indicated to a circular booth with another girl and boy sitting there, “and in the spirit of being friendly, we’re wondering if you wanted to come sit with us,” Page finished her spiel. “But no worries if you want to keep Goten to yourself. We understand,” the blonde winked at her boyfriend, making Bulla feel enraged though she tried to stomp it down. Bulla looked to Goten and he seemed to be letting her decide.

“Sure,” Bulla accepted the girl’s invitation. “I’d like to get to know Goten’s friends.”  _ Especially what you’re all about Page.  _ She thought somewhat threateningly.

“Seems fair. Believe me, we’ve heard all about you.” Page hooked her arm in Bulla’s taking her to the group table, Goten and Binder following.

“Hi, I’m Bulla,” she awkwardly waved to the two seated at the table. 

“Cilla,” the girl stood up and shook her hand politely and the boy seated with Cilla followed her lead.

“Penn,” he greeted with a firm handshake. They made room for her as the five teenagers squeezed into the large booth with Goten still standing. 

“I’m going to order, what would you like?” he asked her kindly. The smells of the pizzeria were getting to her and her stomach grumbled.

_ Seriously? Just going to leave me here?  _ Well, Bulla Briefs never backed down from a challenge.

“Same as you,” she shooed him away. The sooner he ordered the sooner she would have pizza in her mouth.

It was awkward at first with Go-teen gone, but Bulla quickly became comfortable with the Satan City kids. Pan was right, Page really was nice and Bulla found it hard to dislike her despite her jealousy. Penn and Binder kept her amused with all their joking back and forth and Bulla couldn’t resist a few quips of her own that impressed the two most popular boys from Orange Star High. Cilla was really smart and maybe not as fun as the others but speaking to her was so interesting, she knew so much. When Goten returned it only dialed up the enjoyment of the evening. Bulla wasn’t sure she ever had this much fun without Pan before.

When all was said and done, Bulla turned to Goten as they left the pizza place, “They’re cool kids but why are they all named after school supplies?” All she got in response was a befuddled shrug. 

Goten ended up flying with her to her home but only left her with a chaste kiss goodnight, leaving her wanting and love-struck. He couldn’t stay as it was prudent to get his car back to Mount Paozu but nonetheless, she never felt so lightheaded and glowing. After he left, Bulla leaned against her closed front door wistfully reminiscing for several minutes smiling like an idiot.

_ Don’t think about tomorrow. _

* * *

Now that her dad was effectively gone, that meant she and Goten actually had time to use the gravity chamber for  _ actual  _ training. Bulla had to admit, she had been getting rusty as she narrowly missed a punch to her head. But she also had to ask herself,  _ How the hell did Go-teen get so good? _

Or maybe he hadn’t gotten better, maybe she was just distracted by him.  _ He looks so cute when he gets in ‘serious’ fighter mode _ , she thought, a smile quirking at her lips. Bulla shook her head trying to get her head in the game. No way was she going to let Goten get the best of her even if it was just training and the stakes were non-existent. 

She caught the next punch thrown her way and saw the knee to her stomach coming a mile away,  _ so predictable,  _ she had blocked that too. For a second there she thought Goten was getting primed to headbutt her but instead he brought his mouth down to hers and gave her a sweet kiss, catching her off guard and sending a tiny thrill through her body. 

Bulla had barely reciprocated when Goten pulled back to give her a sweeping kick which landed her on her back.  _ Did he just—-?  _ Bulla could scarcely believe how underhanded he was as she looked up at him from her position on the ground. She rolled away in time as he planted his leg for a kick.  _ Oh, he’s in for it now. _

Powering up—just enough to speed up and catch him off guard—Bulla caught him with an elbow to the back of his shoulders, knocking him down. Before Goten could get back up, Bulla moved to straddle him and keep his arms pinned over his head once he turned on his back.

“I give up. You win,” he groaned. Bulla, however, made no move to get off him. She let loose the grip she had on his wrists and slowly moved her hands down until she reached his chest at which point she moved her head down to kiss his lips.  _ Are all our training sessions going to end this way?  _ She thought smiling for a moment after breaking away and sitting up. 

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” Goten told her before he rolled her over with her legs still around his hips. Bulla squealed at the unexpected development of finding herself on her back. She wasn’t about to complain and she couldn’t anyway with the way Goten was keeping her mouth occupied with his tongue.

It was so hard to keep a clear head when she and Goten were fooling around; however, Bulla had to stop him when he began to pull her shorts down. She groaned in frustration, “Goten, as much as I want to, you know we can’t have sex here. Trunks or my mom can come in at any moment, and it’s hard enough stopping when we’re just at third base.” Wordlessly, Goten rolled off of her effectively ending their bodily contact.

“Why can’t Trunks be off following Marron today?” Goten asked annoyed. As it was, Trunks had been spending his weekends at home, severely undercutting the alone time the half-Saiyan couple could spend together. They had just been lucky Trunks said no to training this morning.

“We’ll just have to wait a little longer, then it will be summer. We can see each other whenever Trunks is at work,” Bulla tried to placate the horny Saiyan boy, not that she was having an easier time dealing with her own erotic thoughts.

It had been only a few weeks since they consummated their relationship but they had found it more difficult than anticipated to find a safe space. They had gotten lucky the day of her birthday party, the people that could read energy and that would stop them were either off-planet or incapacitated. Capsule Corp was the best option while her dad was gone but Trunks was still here and he arguably cared more about what Goten and Bulla could get up to than her dad did. It would be all too easy for Trunks to locate the two of them in her room and let himself in. Mount Paozu was out of the question considering the only two dwellings that were there were Gohan’s and Goten’s parents’ houses and they might have had ChiChi’s approval but definitely not to that  _ extent _ .

As Bulla was wallowing in her own sexual frustration, trying to think of alternate locations, an idea hit her like a truck. She turned on her side to the equally irritated teenage boy laying next to her, “You still have your apartment, don’t you? Did your mom take the keys again?” she asked already anticipating what they could get up to without the risk of anyone walking in.

“Yeah…” Goten answered disappointed. “I don’t think she’ll give them back. She doesn’t trust me and I can’t exactly blame her,” Goten said lecherously while taking an unchaste look at her, specifically her chest.

She laughed, “Pervert,” she turned away from him coyly. Her mood had somewhat deflated knowing that Goten’s apartment was off the table, but was it  _ really _ ?

“I bet Trunks has a key!” she declared sitting up.

Goten sat up as well and threw her perplexed expression, “What makes you think that?”

“You know, people give other people spare keys to their houses in cases of emergency like if you ended up in the hospital and you needed someone to water your plants,” she explained.

“Yeah, but why would I trust Trunks?” Goten said not even joking around.

“Good point,” Bulla paused thinking. “But it doesn’t hurt to ask,” she shrugged. “It will be suspicious if I’m with you when you ask, so you have to do it alone,” Bulla said unbothered, getting up and walking towards the exit of the gravity chamber. 

“Wait!” Goten said scrambling after her. “What do I say?”

“I don’t know. Whatever sounds like a good reason.” Bulla walked down the hall to her room. “Use your brain.” They had made it her room where she was keen to take a shower after their sparring session. “Let’s just see how much effort you’re willing to put in for this,” she started to undress and gestured to her body. She had never seen Goten run off faster.

  
  


“I was right, Goten,” Bulla let out breathlessly, “You have gotten better,” she said before lifting herself off the bed. She moved to go take a shower but Goten wasn’t following. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked upon reaching the door.

“Nah, just enjoying the view,” he said lazily from where he was still on the bed. “Besides, last time we tried that was a disaster. Too slippery.”

“I didn’t mean for  _ that _ ,” Bulla rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t your mom need you back for harvesting season since your dad took off after my birthday? Are you just going to go home in your sweaty afterglow?”

“I figure I’m going to get gunked up anyway so it doesn’t matter,” he shrugged. “Besides my mom can’t smell all that well.”

“Well I don’t really have that luxury,” she said leaving the room. It was a little odd, yet liberating to just walk around naked from room to room. It was only Goten here and he’d been up close and personal with all her intimate areas, seeing her bare chest was nothing in comparison. She giggled, glad no one was around to hear it. 

While showering, Bulla vaguely wondered if she should bring some of her own products here. Adult-Goten bought his soap and shampoo in bulk and fortunately, there was plenty for the few times a week. The scent brought her back to the old guy she saw on rare occasions. While her Go-teen had smelled woodsy and fresh, adult Goten smelled like this ‘Metallic Gun’ stuff, artificial. She thought back to perhaps the last time she saw him before he had been wished down. They had said hi to one another but that was it, Goten didn’t seem keen to hang around her and it was pretty mutual, the older she got, the more embarrassed she had become of her crush and she was determined to show everyone how  _ over it _ she was and that meant to completely ignore him aside from small talk and pleasantries. Her childhood crush made no sense in retrospect, she knew nothing about him! But she did know Go-teen, who loved nature, even the gross stuff, made friends with every animal and person he met, kind of a weak fighter, but unfailingly kind and polite, and without a doubt the sweetest boy she had ever met.

_ My how things change,  _ she pondered, smiling, thinking of the guy in the bedroom. She rinsed herself off, wrapped herself in a towel, and willed herself not to throw herself at him once she saw him. 

Goten was already dressed and sitting at the edge of the stripped-down bed looking at his phone when Bulla came upon him. “I hope you don’t mind I put your dirty clothes with the sheets,” he said without looking up.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Bulla told him and sighed wistfully, but not loud enough for Goten to notice.  _ Cute and he does laundry.  _ Goten wasn’t paying her any attention anyway. Instead, he was sniggering to himself about something.

“What’s so funny?” she asked looking over his shoulder. What she saw on the screen was unfortunately familiar.

“Your dad added me on SnapGram,” he was laughing in disbelief.

“You know I never liked that name,” Bulla began gathering clean clothes from her bag. “It sounds like an app for people to send pictures of their grandmas.”

Goten ignored her well-observed opinion and kept trawling through her dad’s once private profile. “I didn’t even know he had an internet connection on Beerus’ planet. Why does he even have one of these?”

Bulla rolled her eyes remembering the day her dad had came to her asking for help to set up his page, “He learned how you can become an ‘influencer’ and he thinks he can do a better job than the popular ones,” she let out an exasperated sigh and plopped down next to Go-teen, “Says our generation is lazy and vapid and he’ll single-handedly whip us into shape. Too bad he doesn’t realize we don’t want a scary looking man with a dorky widow’s peak screaming at us to get off our asses.” She and Goten shared a chuckle before Bulla turned serious, “It’s no joke, you’re going to want to add him back right away. He’ll take it personally if you don’t.”

Goten hastily confirmed their ‘friendship’.

* * *

_ It was fun while it lasted. _

There would be no pulling the wool over her father’s eyes now that he was back on Earth, she could see his fierce eyes focused on the table of meat. “Hi daddy!” she waved to him when he appeared with Beerus, Whis, and Goku all beat up and disheveled. “I didn’t miss you at all!” she said cheerily upon approaching him. 

“Get out of my way,” he growled, pushing her aside as he tried to beat Goku to the food table.

For Pan’s graduation celebration she had said she didn’t want anything elaborate, just an informal barbecue with the family which meant Gohan, ChiChi, and Ox-King had been working overtime to cook piles and piles of meat. 

Luckily for her father, upon seeing Goku, ChiChi had pulled the larger Saiyan by his ear and yelled at him to shower and make himself presentable for his granddaughter’s graduation party and he had no choice but to oblige, leaving the other full Saiyan to dig into the barbecued ribs before Goku even had a chance.  _ That will put him in a good mood. _

For appearances, Goten and Bulla were mostly staying away from each other. Of course, they couldn’t resist brushing up against each other or making the occasional quip to one another as they made their rounds having small talk with the rest of the party-goers. Bulla guessed Goten could only take so much of Gohan and Trunks’ drinking competition and smack talk because he finally approached Bulla where she was hanging out with Pan and Sasshi.

But right before he reached them, a white-gloved hand fell on Goten’s shoulder, “Thank you for liking my videos, Goten,” Vegeta said sincerely. 

Apprehensively, Goten eeked out, “Uh, you’re welcome, Vegeta. They were—uh, great.” Vegeta nodded respectfully and then started leading Goten away.

“Tell me more about what you liked about them,” Bulla heard her dad command Goten before the two were out of earshot, she even managed to pick up some of Goten’s stammering.

“Isn’t he your boyfriend on the DL?” Sasshi asked Bulla quietly, “You’re not even going to save him?”

“Nah, I don’t really feel like it,” Bulla responded flippantly. “Besides if my dad suspects something, he won’t really care that much,” she shrugged. “To be quite honest, I would be more worried about your dad, Pan.”

“Huh?” Pan looked distracted, “What are you saying?” she turned her attention to Bulla for only a moment, “Your brother keeps making weird faces at me and I can’t tell if he wants me to see or not.” Bulla’s eyes followed Pan’s line of sight to her brother who was making a cat claw-like motion in Pan’s direction.

“Yeah, don’t pay attention to him,” Bulla looked away from her brother, waving her hand dismissively in his direction, “He’s drunk and even when he’s not he’s just being an ass. It’s kind of hard to tell,” Bulla told Pan. “Your dad is acting weird too,” she added. This time Pan kept her attention on Bulla, her look disbelieving. “He’s always glaring at Goten when he comes near me, haven’t you noticed?” Bulla had been feeling Gohan’s eyes on her whenever Goten came near her all day. 

“Sorry,” Pan said unapologetically, as she took her girlfriend’s hand, “Not really interested in your relationship drama,” she shot a fond look to Sasshi.

“You guys are so cute, you make me want to vomit,” Bulla complained.

“We could probably say the same for you and Go-teen,” Sasshi giggled. “If everyone here wasn’t so self-interested, they wouldn’t miss the slavish way he looks at you.”

“Yeah, how did you do that?” Pan asked. “I need to know for reasons,” at that joke Sasshi playful nudged the laughing Pan.

“Hello ladies,” an unwelcome voice presented itself. Pan and Sasshi were visibly startled when Trunks came between the two girls and threw each of his arms over their shoulders. Bulla could smell his intoxicated breath from where she was a few feet away and she doubted she even needed the Saiyan sense of smell to tell.  _ Probably didn’t like being ignored. _

“Panny, you’re eighteen now, right?” the glassy-eyed Trunks took his arm off Sasshi and focused his attention on his fellow part-Saiyan.

“Yes, Trunks,” Pan replied more amused than upset. Bulla, too, was curious, if she had to guess, she’d say Trunks was probably going to warn her to stay away from Yamcha.

He smiled lazily at Pan and ran a finger under her dress strap. “You wore a dress today. I like it,” he grinned smarmily at the girl.  _ OH. MY. GOD.  _ Bulla nearly jumped out of her skin at what her brother was doing. Faster than her brain could process what was going on, Pan had taken Trunks’ offending finger in a death grip and had him on his knees.

“Damn, Pan, let go! I was only kidding,” Trunks lightly begged, already appearing soberer.

The commotion had attracted a drunken broom wielding Gohan who was still clad in his apron from when he had been grilling. “Get away from her!” he said hitting Trunks and missing more swats than connecting. 

Pan had let go of Trunks who had then taken off trying to get away from Gohan and his broom.

“Aw, daddy to the rescue,” Bulla couldn’t help but tease Pan.

“Quiet, you,” Pan said tersely. “He’d probably do the same to Uncle Goten if he found out about the two of you,” Pan pointed out. “Remember when you were twelve and my dad took us to that water park?”

“Oh yeah,” she recalled. “We got kicked out because he beat up that one guy trying to proposition me,” Bulla laughed, remembering the incident fondly. “That’s the only time I have seen your dad lose his shit.”

Trunks’ wails drew their attention back to the spectacle. Instead of anyone trying to stop Gohan or save Trunks, the crowd just stared and laughed at the scene, except for Sasshi who gawked open-mouthed. “There is so much I want to know,” she said mostly to herself though Bulla overheard.

“Like what?” Bulla asked offering to answer any question Sasshi had.

“Why does Pan’s dad have a broom on him? Let’s start with that,” the tall girl inquired.

“Oh, that one’s easy,” Bulla said with a wave of her hand. “When Gohan gets drunk he likes to put on ‘skits’. His favorite is to pretend to be a witch and fly around on a broom. I guess he was get—Ow!” Bulla had stopped her explanation when she was punched in the side of the head by Pan, it wasn’t enough to do any real damage but enough to hurt. “You b—-” she was about to hit back but was interrupted by her own mother.

“LET’S BOOGIE!” the Briefs matriarch exclaimed to the crowd of friends and family and threw a capsule in the air. After the smoke cleared, a sound system with huge speakers started blaring upbeat dance music. Gohan stopped beating a slumped over Trunks where he had cornered him and was led away by Videl to the makeshift dance floor. Even her mom had gotten her dad to do his famous bingo dance, but the star of the show was Beerus who was break dancing up a storm to the delight of the crowd.

Bulla would have been fine to sit the whole thing out but Pan and Sasshi had dragged her with them to the horde of dancing bodies. Soon enough though, Goten approached her snapping his fingers and swaying his hips. He cocked his head to the side with a wink and wordlessly held his hand out to her. How could she say no to the dork? No longer having his weapon, Gohan used his hips to bump Goten out of the way if the older man felt his brother was too close to Bulla.

Alas, the fun ended when Goku’s butt accidentally touched her dad’s on the dancefloor and it devolved into a fight with the two full-blooded Saiyans rolling around on the ground slapping at each other. Bulla was having fun cheering for her dad against the opposing Goten-Pan faction who were rooting for Goku, but their wives had had enough and demanded Whis separate them. 

“Boo!” Bulla and the others had called out when Bulma and ChiChi led their husbands away from each other.

After that, the party wound down and guests started going home, even Sasshi, not Bulla though, she was planning on spending the night at Pan’s, but Pan had another idea.

“Hey mom,” the older female hybrid called out to Videl. “Can we camp out tonight?” Bulla followed Videl’s line of sight to the passed out Gohan being carried by Piccolo into the house.

Pan’s mom shrugged, “I don’t see why not and your father can’t object. I think we have a few capsule houses stashed somewhere…” the older woman trailed off.

“Mo-om!” Pan complained. “You can’t call it camping if you’re in a house!” the older girl pouted.  _ Oh to be an only child.  _ “Don’t we have any tents?”

Videl looked pensive for a moment, “I don’t know honey. If you want to find one you’ll have to look yourself,” she stated and went back to putting stuff away.

“We have tents!” Goten’s voice piped up, drawing Pan’s attention to him.

“Oh and I suppose you’ll want to come along too, Go-teen?” Pan asked Goten testily.

“Yup!” he affirmed either oblivious or not caring that his mere presence bothered Pan.

For a second, Bulla thought Pan was going to explode and childishly declare she didn’t want to go camping anymore. 

Instead, the older girl clipped, “Fine,” with a tight-lipped smile. After helping clean up the remnants of the party, the three hybrids sorted through the mess in the Son family storage hut, which according to Goten used to be his Grandpa Gohan’s house, and found the tents and other supplies. The trio then set out to find a nice clearing. Goten said he had a good idea of where to go and ordered the girls to speed up since it was miles from the two homes on Mount Paozu.

With their speed and stamina, it didn’t take long for the three hybrids to reach their destination. They came upon the clearing and even Pan had to admit it was a good spot. It was dark out now but Bulla could see the moon reflected in the body of water a few meters from where they were going to set up shop. They were surrounded by trees of course but there was enough even ground to set up the two tents spaced a decent ways apart as well as a place to build a fire.

“I can tell these have seen better days,” Goten commented shaking out the dusty tarp. Bulla was completely useless in setting up the tents and as it turns out, so was Pan. Instead of helping, the girls merely watched Go-teen go at it, expertly setting up the two simple tents.

“Trunks and I go camping all the time,” Goten said by way of explanation. “Right, scratch that, we used to go camping all the time, with Gohan when I was little and sometimes with my dad.” Goten’s eyes lit up telling the two girls and Bulla could tell that he was excited by being out in nature. “I’ll go find us a snack, you and Pan can gather some firewood,” he said before taking off.

“You don’t tell me what to do!” Pan screamed at Goten’s retreating form, though she didn’t actually seem angry or non-compliant.

“I’m surprised you wanted to camp out tonight,” Bulla turned to her best friend as they headed out to collect sticks.

“Likewise, I’m shocked you agreed, city girl,” Pan ribbed back. “So you and Goten are back at it again. Right after I left your party?”

“Going strong for almost two months now,” the younger girl affirmed but declined to say more.

“And no getting caught yet?” Pan asked.

“Well my mom kind of knows but you know her, she’s never that involved, dad’s been gone and he won’t admit it but he loves Goten, and Trunks is well, he’s Trunks.” Bulla looked pointedly at Pan who was now giggling. 

They were now deeper into the woods, picking up the occasional fallen branch that looked good for kindling. “I have to admit, Trunks caught me off guard,” Pan offered up unprompted. If it wasn’t so dark out Bulla could swear Pan was blushing. “He’s always been more like a goofy cousin,” she paused to pick up a particularly attractive piece of wood. “How did you first feel when Go-teen came onto you?”

Out here in the middle of nowhere with her best friend, Bulla felt free and open with her thoughts and emotions. The only living beings she could sense around were animals, no one else was listening but her best friend.

“I was in denial for a while,” Bulla shrugged unsure how to articulate her feelings, “and he and I were never as close as you and Trunks were so I wasn’t repulsed because I had familial like feelings for him.”

“Well, I didn’t hate it and Trunks is prettier than some girls…” Pan interrupted with her musings.

“Ew!” Bulla threw a stick she had just picked up at Pan hoping she would shut up but Pan caught it before doubling over laughing.

“I swear, put him in a dress and even I couldn't resist,” Pan said casually.

“Stop, please,” Bulla implored the older girl.

“I’m just saying, I would let him do stuff to me but maybe not the other way around,” she contemplated aloud.

“Oh my god!” Bulla screamed, not caring if the whole forest heard her, “Just shut up!” she screeched to a now hysterically laughing Pan.

“And you don’t think knowing you and my Uncle Goten are going at it doesn’t bother me?” Pan retorted. “At least me and Trunks are hypothetical.”

It didn’t seem like it bothered Pan since she was the one asking so Bulla just opted to ignore her best friend’s rhetorical question, “ _ Anyway,  _ I was so used to the idea of him being so much older, like a grown-up, that I had a really hard time accepting him as a sixteen year old kid with awkward boners.” 

“So, in other words, you let him into your pants because you finally got over it and let your childhood wish-fulfillment take over,” Pan stated succinctly.

“If you already knew then why did you ask?” Bulla grumbled, but she soon changed her tune, “But I’m happy,” she said smiling like a goof and gathering all the firewood she acquired. “I think I have enough, what about you?” Pan nodded though Bulla could barely see with the moon and stars providing their only light.

“You better hope he doesn’t come back with bear or tiger,” Pan tittered as they made their way to their makeshift campground.

“Never had it,” Bulla commented nonchalantly, “It’s good to try new things.” she shrugged while her fellow hybrid threw her a disbelieving look. Truthfully, she was just messing with Pan, even if Goten did bring back some exotic meat she probably wouldn’t eat it. Luckily for the two girls, a dripping wet scantily clad Goten was pegging fish to a split log.

“Why are you wet but your boxers dry?” a confused Pan asked her uncle.

“Take a guess,” he offered simply.

“Those poor traumatized fish,” Pan spoke sadly before turning mildly angry, “Put some clothes on!” she commanded.

“Or don’t,” Bulla cheekily winked at Goten while Pan made gagging noises. Bulla had to get her back for that Trunks talk, though much to her disappointment, Goten shrugged his clothes back on.

Together the three of them stoked a fire, Goten had forbidden them to use their energy, insisting they do it the old fashioned way. Bulla was convinced he was going to murder her and Pan since they were goofing off and not taking his outdoor experience or  _ him  _ seriously.

“Doesn’t the fish need seasoning?” Bulla asked once they got the fire going without the use of energy blasts.

“The smoke  _ is  _ the seasoning,” Goten insisted.

If the night started off with tension, it dissipated fairly quickly because of Bulla’s slippery fingers.

“Look what I sneaked,” Bulla sang out, pulling out two bottles from her bag. “I was just counting on me and Pan but I think between the three of us we can still get a light buzz.”

“Pan’s not having any unless it’s cream soda,” Goten declared seriously.

“Seriously, Goten?” Bulla tutted at him. “She’s eighteen, older than the both of us.”

“Sorry,” Goten turned to Pan apologetically, “It’s hard to not see you as a kid.”

“I’m not a kid!” she practically cried out in a high pitched whine.

“Okay, no hard feelings!” Bulla ordered. “Graduate gets to break in the first bottle,” Bulla said handing out the bottle to Pan who practically chugged half of it before coming up for air.

If Bulla thought Goten and Pan would be competing for her attention all night, she was sorely disappointed. They munched on the fish Goten caught, passed the remaining bottle around, and chatted lightly about simple things, avoiding  _ the big question, _ but Bulla couldn’t help but notice how much more tame Pan had become around Goten.

“Hey, Pan! What’s up with you? Why are you treating Go-teen like a person all of a sudden?” Bulla teased the other girl.

“Yeeah,” Goten drew out the word, already tipsy. “You are being unusually nice,” Goten observed before ducking out of the way when an energy blast came sailing towards his head.

“Spoke too soon,” the lone male lamented.

“Oh no, I was being nice,” Pan assured him. “If I really wanted to hit you, I wouldn’t have given you time to dodge.” 

“Hmm...I think the better question is why you were mad at Go-teen in the first place,” Bulla piped up.

“I know! You’re totally the one who messed with my alarm clock the first day of school, weren’t you?” Goten accused laughingly, he didn’t seem upset at all for whatever torment Pan might have intentionally put him through.

“You did what now?” Bulla turned to Pan.

“Yes, that was me,” she smirked, confessing her role but then sighed. “I admit I wasn’t cool. Sorry,” she mumbled looking contrite. “It’s just you used to be around so much when I was a kid and I saw less and less of you as time went on, it kind of sucked.

“Before you aged yourself down—you probably don’t remember—you promised  _ we  _ could hunt down the dragon balls and wish for something stupid so we could hang out like old times. Next thing I know, you show up having made a wish without me. It kind of solidified the idea you didn’t care about me that much anymore.” Pan finished resting her chin in her hands.

Bulla and Goten were stunned into silence. “You know it was an accident.” Goten said earnestly, “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.” It was odd but accurate to describe old Goten and Go-teen as separate entities, Bulla thought.

“I’m over it.” Pan smiled wryly, “Besides, you weren’t that fun anyway.” 

_ Pan wanted to wish for something?  _ “Hey!” Bulla said in mock indignation, “You never told me you had a wish and I’m your best friend.”

Pan scoffed, “You wouldn’t understand with your fairy mermaid goddess hair,” she turned her attention to Goten, “Have you ever seen anyone else but Bulla and her family with blue hair?”

Goten looked to Bulla startled as if realizing for the first time her hair was an atypical color, “Woah,” he reached out to gently grab a strand of her hair and pet it lovingly while looking astonished, “No, I haven’t.”  _ Yup, the alcohol has definitely gotten to him too. _

“See?” Pan looked pointedly to Bulla who was just completely bemused, especially now that Goten was rubbing her hair against his cheek.

“What are you even getting at?” she asked the raven-haired girl.

“You have great hair,” she pointed at her accusingly, “All long and silky—”

“And fragrant,” Goten piped up dreamily still stroking the strand of hair he grabbed onto.

“Yes!” Pan snapped her fingers agreeing with Goten, “And fragrant!” she pointed to Bulla again, rebuking her.

“Okay…” Bulla responded unsure of what Pan expected from her. Pan did have more alcohol than the other two hybrids and was more human, she was probably more affected than they were so Bulla decided just to humor the girl.

“Meanwhile, Goten and I have Saiyan hair. Do you think I like having my hair this short all the time?” Pan pointed to her signature messy pixie cut.

Bulla shrugged, “I thought you just liked your hair that short.” 

“See, I wouldn’t know if I liked my hair any other way because it doesn’t fucking change,” she turned to her uncle, “You know how I feel, don’t you Goten?”

“Yeah, if I don’t take preemptive strikes I end up with my dad’s hair,” he said empathetically tugging on the end of his hair and finally letting go of Bulla’s.

“So you were going to wish for my hair?” Bulla asked trying to make sense out of the nonsense Pan was spewing.

“No,” Pan replied snottily. “I was going to wish for my hair to be five centimeters longer.”

Bulla looked at Pan gobsmacked.  _ She did say they were going to wish for something stupid… _

“Why five centimeters?” she had to ask. Goten and Pan looked to her as if she was the stupidest person in the world.

“Any more than that and it would be obvious.” Both Pan and Goten shook their heads at her, “Then after four months—since I’ll only use one wish—same wish, so on and so forth, until I get the length I want.” That didn’t make any sense to Bulla. “I do it gradually so the hair growth looks natural.” That still didn’t make any sense.

“Why wouldn’t you just make one wish to make your hair grow normally like a human?”  _ And they think I’m the stupid one. _

The two Sons stared at each other in realization—never looking more alike than now—saying “Ooohhh,” in realization simultaneously. 

Bulla shook her head,  _ My best friend and my boyfriend, everyone! _

The older girl yawned. “Anyway, It’s been quite the day. How are we going to do the sleeping arrangements?” Pan asked. For a beat, all three teenagers looked at each other awkwardly.  _ Pan and I bunking together makes the most sense but if I’m being honest, I’d rather share with Goten.  _ Bulla sensed Goten felt the same.

The two half-Saiyans were spared any discomfort in answering by Pan bursting out laughing. “Go on, I know you two would rather spend the night together,” the quarterling put her finger to her lips, “Shhh...I won’t tell.” she winked.

The two bid goodnight to Pan and retreated to their own tent. Bulla was feeling a little tired herself.

“I was still talking to your dad,” Goten began once they settled on top of the sleeping bags they had brought, “but you were there, what was up with Trunks and Pan that made Gohan chase him like that?” Goten asked.

Bulla yawned, “I don’t think his ego has ever gotten over the fact that Pan never had a crush on him unlike you and me,” Bulla hypothesized casually.

“I had a crush on you?” Goten questioned skeptically.

“Other way around, idiot. Unless you wished yourself sixteen to avoid jail time,” Bulla jested. 

“You had a crush on me?” Goten teased with a pleased look on his face. Bulla wanted to slap the expression off his face.

“That’s what you’re focusing on? Shut up! You asked about Trunks and Pan,” Bulla reminded him, her cheeks flaming up in embarrassment.  _ Dammit! The booze got to me too. He wasn’t supposed to know that. This was supposed to be my do-over! _

Goten took one look at her disgruntled face and merely laughed at her...and he wouldn’t stop. Bulla pouted in the face of such callousness and got defensive. 

“I was a little kid!” she justified herself.

“Aww,” he moved closer to her and gave her a peck on the forehead. “My poor little Bulla,” he said putting an arm around her. Okay, she had to admit, that did make her feel better.

“Why do you assume I was heartbroken? I could have gotten over it once I realized you weren’t going to leave my brother for me. No hard feelings. You two were meant to be,” she joked.

At this point she was resting her head on his chest, both of them having laid down, not looking at his face, and felt the rumbling of his laugh before she heard it. “Tell me what really happened.” It was an order and Bulla never did like being told what to do, but his delivery was so warm and he was holding her so she could smell his neck and she couldn’t deny the lovable half-Saiyan anything, even if she was putting her dignity on the line.  _ How the hell do these Sons do it? _

“Fine,” she mumbled into his chest. “To be fair, I think I just liked you because you were nicer to me than my brother when I did see you. Not that I did see you very much because I think if I did, I would have come to my senses.”

Bulla couldn’t see his face as she was telling him this but once again felt him shake with quiet laughter. “Then everyone else caught on and thought it was the cutest thing, and so did you for a while.” Bulla then felt Goten tense up and look down at her. She stared right back at him looking at his innocently befuddled eyes.

“Why only a while?” he inquired gently.

Bulla wracked her memories with an older perspective trying to think why even before  _ the incident  _ Goten wasn’t crazy about her crush on him, “Hmmm...you know I don’t really know why, only older you has the answer to that. I just know you used to humor me and then…” she paused trying to recall, “you weren’t exactly unkind...” Bulla drifted off trying to find the words, “but something had changed but minutely?” Bulla was a little unsure, “I have to admit this was over ten years ago and I was really young, I wouldn’t exactly trust my memories on the matter. For all I know, you could have declined to play with me and I took it as a slight but honestly Goten I was a bratty kid—”

“You still are,” Goten interrupted with his  _ unsolicited  _ opinion, Bulla thought testily.

“—and I couldn’t wrap my mind around someone telling me no,” Bulla finished somewhat awkwardly.  _ That was probably an understatement. _

“Is that what Trunks is always alluding to?”  _ Bless him,  _ Bulla thought. No matter how many times Trunks thought he was being funny bringing it up, Goten saw it made her uncomfortable and made Trunks drop it.

“No...kind of...no...yes.” Bulla kept voicing her back and forth thoughts aloud avoiding eye contact with Goten. She just didn’t know if she was ready to tell Go-teen of her greatest humiliation, even Pan knew very little of the incident. It never made the papers, her mom made sure of that, and she was sure the only other person who knew the whole story outside of their circle was Goten’s date at the time. 

“So which one is it?” he wasn’t demanding the answer, that was something Bulla appreciated about Go-teen, but she could tell that he wanted to know.

“I’m not trying to beat around the bush but I think I need to start from the beginning.” Bulla separated herself from Goten and sat up putting some space between them, reminiscing wasn’t that much fun anymore. “Remember how on edge I was when we first met?”

“Not really, we first met when you were a baby and you were really happy to see me,” he pointed out. Bulla didn’t know if he was just messing with her or if he was being serious, she chose the latter and let herself smile but didn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

“You know what I mean,” Goten nodded good-naturedly, smirking at his own joke, evidently less uncomfortable by the whole situation than she had been. “Trunks used to tease me a lot about my childhood crush on you. Less and less as the years went on…”

“So that’s why you wanted to find some dirt on Trunks? To hold something over his head? To give as good as you got?”

Bulla looked to him surprised, that was unexpectedly intuitive of him. “Right on the nose,” she bopped him with her finger. “Knowing I had a certain... _ fondness _ ...for you, made me a little nervous that I might not be able to help myself...and like you again, especially that you were now my age and going to be so for months at least,” she timidly explained to the now smug looking Go-teen. “I had forgotten about you for years then you show up in my living room aged down and I couldn’t avoid you.”

“But of course,” Goten replied. “My mom wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Anyway, when I was six, you and Trunks took me to a carnival….” Bulla went on to expound, much to her chagrin, what had transpired, “I guess you didn’t think making not-so-veiled threats against your date was cute and you told me it didn’t matter if I was a half-Saiyan like you—that was the main part of my sales pitch to get you to date me—” Bulla paused to giggle remembering how silly it was, “that you didn’t like me ‘that way’ and you would never marry me, let alone date me, that we weren’t on a date and you were only hanging out with me because Trunks unloaded me on you,” she paused recalling her pained six year old feelings. “That hurt a lot because you were always so nice to me and I thought we were friends.”

Goten’s eyes bugged out of his head and enveloped her hands in his, it felt comforting to Bulla, particularly because she could feel tears in the back of her eyes.  _ I guess I’m not as over it as I thought.  _ She avoided looking at him as he apologized profusely, “I am so sorry for what I did! I was such an ass to hurt you like that,” he looked at her earnestly, his eyes looking at her with anguish. He didn’t ask for forgiveness but Bulla didn’t really see that there was anything to forgive Go-teen for, it hadn’t been the boy beside her, after all. 

“You said it much nicer and gentler than I did just now,” Bulla shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, you’re not the same guy and besides we all forgot about it—except for Trunks,” Bulla muttered that last part. Once again, Goten moved to take her in his arms. Bulla welcomed the contact and sunk into his body, molding herself into him. “Then I went Super Saiyan 2 for the first time and nearly blew up the fairgrounds, so thanks for being my trigger.” She was feeling a little better after reliving that unpleasant memory; she thought Goten holding her might have had something to do with it. 

“And that’s why I was nervous around you. I have my dad’s Saiyan pride, I don’t like ridicule about something I feel ashamed of, my spirit was broken over a childhood crush,” she explained quietly. It was weird for her to open up to someone else like this, she hadn’t even voiced her concerns to Marron way back when Go-teen first showed up. “It’s kind of silly I thought I might fly off the handle if something happened regarding you. Would I get jealous and blow up the city? Will I—” she stopped herself.  _ I don’t want to think about that.  _ Instead, she continued with a different train of thought, “Damn you! You made me want to risk it,” she finished playfully, pecking him on his smooth cheek.  _ Do Saiyan guys even need to shave?  _ She absentmindedly wondered. She had never seen a mustache or beard on either the half or full Saiyan guys.

“What’s going to happen to us if you do end up wishing yourself back?” she dared to ask, her voice quiet. At the moment she found her eyelids heavy and threatening to close in sleep. Perhaps that’s why at the moment she felt bold enough to face the question she was afraid of.

“We’ll make a pact here and now,” Goten suggested simply. “While we’re still hot and young, you at fifty and me at sixty-three. If neither of us is married before then we’ll—”

“Kill each other?” Bulla interrupted to which Goten let out a huge rumbling laugh that she was sure Pan heard and jolted her from her drowsiness momentarily.

“Only you would say something like that,” he told her fondly. “No, not a murder-suicide pact, a marriage pact like they make on those tv shows and movies.”

“Sure,” Bulla agreed yawning, fatigue taking over once again. “Like I’ll make it to fifty unmarried anyway. I’m hot stuff,” she said before closing her eyes, falling asleep to the steady beat of Goten’s heart and the rocking of his laughter.

* * *

_ I am so close, just there, right there!  _ Bulla tried to sink her hips further onto Goten’s trying to hit that spot just out of reach. So lost were they in each other that they hadn’t noticed the two new energies among them until she heard her brother scream, “OH GOD! MY EYES!”

Startled, Bulla looked over her shoulder to find—to her immense horror—hers and her boyfriend’s older brother. Trunks had his hands squeezed tightly over his eyes while Gohan turned red and was frozen in place. 

“What is wrong with you?! Why are you just staring?!” she yelled at her best friend’s father who hadn’t moved. As always Bulla reached for the nearest heavy object, in this case Goten’s nightstand, and chucked it at Gohan where it exploded on impact.

Trunks looked around wildly with his eyes still covered. “What was that?” he didn’t stick around to find out. “Let’s get out of here!” he exclaimed. With one hand still on his eyes and one free hand, he grabbed a catatonic Gohan and promptly ran into a wall. Bulla would have laughed if she wasn’t in a precarious position herself. Trunks hitting the wall snapped Gohan out of his unresponsive state and he ushered Trunks and himself out of the bedroom but not before sending Goten one of the nastiest glares she had ever seen on anyone, let alone the mild-mannered Gohan.

Feeling a lump in her throat and a pit in her stomach, Bulla looked down to Goten. For once, she was at a loss. Trunks and Gohan wouldn’t let this slide, they were effectively outed, would they be banned from seeing each other? Her heart sped up in anxiousness.  _ We’re not going to have any more time? _

“Hey,” Goten said softly, sitting up, caressing her arm. He smiled at her, “It’s going to be okay.” She started to tear up, not only worried about what would happen between herself and Goten but she also felt humiliated being walked in on while being in a vulnerable position. “Please, don’t cry,” Goten implored sweetly wiping a tear from under her eye away with his thumb. He took her in his arms and stroked her hair softly. Still holding her, he continued to speak, right into her ear, “You’re Bulla Briefs, princess of all Saiyans,  _ no one _ makes you do anything you don’t want to do.” Bulla nodded knowing he was right. 

“But may I suggest,” he separated himself from her with a groan, “We get dressed and you give them a piece of your mind?” Bulla hadn’t even given into any thought as to whether the two older hybrids were still in Goten’s apartment but sure enough her senses picked up their energies in Goten’s living room. She took a deep breath and detangled herself from Goten. Resolved to tackle this head-on, Bulla hastily put on her clothes, Goten following her lead. Holding onto Goten’s hand for strength, together they walked to Goten’s living room where the two grown men sat silent, looking grave.

Their brothers refused to meet their eyes or say anything but they were clearly waiting for the pair so Bulla said the most obvious thing that came to her mind.

“Who the hell hears clear sex sounds and walks in anyway? And you’re mad you found what you were suspecting?!” she put her most furious foot forward but inside she was shaking with insecurity.

“I’m not mad,” Trunks mumbled, barely perceptible, without looking at her.

“Well, I am,” Gohan stood up to face Goten directly. “What did you think you were doing with her? 

“Did you forget you’re not actually sixteen? 

“On paper, you’re still twenty-nine,” he said cuttingly with precision, his eyes narrowed, glaring at his younger brother. “What would happen if she got pregnant?”

“Excuse me,” Bulla interrupted, “That’s not going to happen,” she had to clarify. “My mom makes sure of that,” she huffed.

“Mom knows?!” Trunks looked utterly betrayed. “I suppose dad might too?!”

“Maybe,” Bulla said sheepishly, “Mom said she suspected but he doesn’t know anything outright.”

“It doesn’t matter because it’s over,” Gohan interrupted the siblings with finality. The oldest among them was boiling mad and spoke with such authority that the other three half-bloods were inclined to follow his lead. He had always been somewhat of a dominant figure in all their childhoods, none could say he didn’t hold any power over them, especially Bulla. She recalled Gohan acted more like a father than her own dad sometimes, always making sure she had enough to eat, instead of fighting her for the last scrap of food like her dad did, or helping her with her homework, when Vegeta would just say ‘Ask your mother.’ 

But today Bulla was not inclined to follow through, “Just who do you think you are telling me what to do?” Bulla responded forcefully with strength she didn’t feel. True, he was like a second father to her in some ways but he truly wasn’t and she didn’t have to listen to him.

“Maybe I can’t tell you what to do Bulla,” Gohan conceded, “but Goten still lives under my mom’s roof and as soon as I tell her, all this—whatever this is—will be over.”

“I think that’s a decision Goten and I will make when the time comes,” Bulla said assuredly once again speaking for her and Goten who had been silent the whole time. She stood her ground near Goten, laying her hand on his shoulder, hoping she would be a source of strength for him as he had been for her.

“So childish,” Gohan rolled his eyes. “Did you really think you could just go on like this forever?” Gohan turned to Goten, ignoring Bulla. “That the fact Son Goten born in 780 has no record of ever existing would just go away on its own?”

“We’ll figure it out, I’m going to stay this way,” Goten asserted finding his voice. 

“All the more reason teenagers aren’t trusted with life-altering decisions,” a weary Gohan rubbed his temple having calmed down. “You have no plan and only care about what’s going on at the moment. Just like dad you are, you don’t care about those you’ve made a commitment to and no one ever calls you out on it because you’re the baby,” Gohan spat out in disdain. “What’s so different about now than thirteen years ago? Why wouldn’t you fall into the same trap all over again? Will you be so unsatisfied with your life again when you make it to twenty-nine again?” The older man changed his focus to Bulla again, “Do you really trust him not to pull the same thing again when you’re older?”

“It was an accident!” Goten growled out harshly.

“How could it have been an accident?” Gohan said bewildered. “Shenron doesn’t grant superficial wishes for those who don’t want them, especially for us.”

_ Just what I thought!  _ But it was no time for Bulla to gloat. The room was uncomfortably quiet and Bulla too found herself wondering.  _ Could he really make the same mistake again? If it indeed was a mistake?  _

“It doesn’t matter,” Bulla declared, finding it easy to place her faith in Goten. “Goten wouldn’t do that on purpose, and we have magical wish orbs, remember? We can just unwish that wish.”

“But what if he doesn’t want to, like now?” Gohan countered her argument. “Bulla, you’re a smart and sweet girl,” he told her softly. “I would never want to see you hurt.”

“He will want to,” she affirmed confidently not having an actual argument. “He’d never hurt me.”

“But he did before.”  _ Ouch.  _ “How do you know he won’t again?” he pressed her.

“Because I do!” she finally snapped and screamed.

“Oh yeah?” Bulla didn’t like the look on Gohan’s face, she could see a spark of triumph in his eyes like he had a winning hand up his sleeve, but instead of addressing her, he looked to her older brother. “Remember that girl he was crazy about?”

“From when?” Trunks asked genuinely, not realizing his slip-up. Gohan gave the pair of teens a pointed look.  _ So what? We all have infatuations,  _ Bulla thought but kept her mouth shut.

“The one that moved to North City,” Gohan specified. “Brown hair and eyes?” 

“Valese,” but it wasn’t her brother who had said the name.

“Right,” Gohan started, fully turning his attention to his younger brother. “When she moved to North City, you swore up and down that you two were in love and that you were going to fly there every day to see her, and do you know how long that lasted?” Goten shook his head, “Two weeks.” But Gohan wasn’t done.

“But that doesn’t matter. I don’t remember that because that wasn’t me and it’s not Bulla and me, we’re different,” Goten maintained, cutting in before Gohan could say more.

“That’s what you have always said whether it was Valese, Bulla, or any other girl.” Gohan rolled his eyes but turned serious, “People grow and change. You’re too young and impulsive to make such an upheaval in your lives, both of you,” he said earnestly, addressing them both.

“You and Videl met when you were our age,” Goten fought back but Gohan wasn’t taking the bait.

“It’s a completely different situation,” Gohan shook his head, “We didn’t have the baggage you do, Goten. You have a whole other life with friends, responsibilities, a career. Are you going to stay this way but wake up one morning longing for what you once had?”

“My life didn’t seem so great,” Goten scoffed.

“You’ve always been able to talk yourself out of anything,” Gohan said ruefully. “And that’s why you don’t want to age back and regain your memories. You look at things so negatively that you stay stuck where you have always been. I guess I know why you didn’t go through with it,” the older man stated vaguely.

The three younger hybrids looked at Gohan in confusion, none more on edge than Goten. “What are you talking about?” the younger Son demanded to know.

“A few weeks before,” they all knew what ‘before’ referred to, “Impulsively, you came to me to beg me to lend you money, said you had a once in a lifetime opportunity, that it was destiny,” Gohan said seriously.

Realization seemed to dawn on Goten but Bulla was completely out of the loop and couldn’t help but feel nervous about what Gohan was referring to. “Don’t say anything more. Please,” Goten pleaded with his brother, untangling from Bulla and approaching the older man. “I’m begging you,” he whispered.

“I don’t take any joy in this,” Gohan said sincerely, indeed he looked pained himself. “But she deserves to know.” Now Bulla knew they were referring to her, she felt cold all over knowing what was coming next was probably bad news.

“Tell me,” she stepped up Goten. “If it makes any difference in our relationship you have to tell me,” she asserted firmly. “Eventually is now.”

Goten nodded. “When we first came here about seven months ago we didn’t look everywhere,” he avoided looking at her and instead focused on his feet. “I came back here to hide from Pan.” That incident had always made Bulla laugh but now she couldn’t even muster up a smile. “I found something,” he walked back to his former self’s bedroom as if he was walking to his doom. When he came back, he held a small metal safe and opened it. Pulling a few objects out, the first things Bulla noticed were the capsules but then her eyes were drawn to the black velvet box Goten held out to her.

Opening it, her heart dropped to her knees. It was a simple rose gold band with a sizable diamond in the center. She took the damn thing in her hands and looked closely, close enough to see an inscription. It was tiny but she could make it out.

“Yours, truly and forever. Goten,” she read aloud shakily. It all came crashing down on her. Adult Goten hadn’t been single and Go-teen  _ knew.  _ Her throat instantly became dry, “There’s possibly another woman,” she croaked out, “Another woman you let down.”

Bulla didn’t have it in her to feel jealous at the moment. She put herself in this mystery woman’s shoes, wondering where the man she loved enough to consider marrying had gone and to be left with nothing.

“How did you not know?!” she turned to her brother who had been utterly uninvolved this whole time. “You’re his best friend and you had no idea?” she nearly shrieked hysterically.

“I don’t know,” Trunks was equally as panicked and confused. “He may have mentioned something about seeing someone in passing but I never met her so I assumed it wasn’t serious!” Trunks defended himself. “I—I—” Trunks stammered trying to explain, maybe realizing he couldn’t, and let out a deep breath, “I guess I haven’t been a good friend to you this past year,” he turned to Goten with an extremely apologetic look on his face.

Whatever the reasons, they had no idea Goten may have had a girlfriend somewhere, Bulla just knew she wanted to get out of there. With the ring still in hand, she flung it at Goten’s face and made to leave.

“Take me home, Trunks,” she demanded without looking back to even see if her brother was following her, he had, and together they rode the elevator down in silence. Silent. That’s what it was, from the trip to the car to the ride home.

“That’s why you’ve been coming back smelling like Goten’s shampoo!” her brother accused breaking the silence between them.  _ Of all things!  _ They were still in the car, having hit traffic in the busy streets of West City. A normal ten minute trip home was going to take thirty.

Bulla just quirked an eyebrow up in curiosity, “You know what shampoo Goten uses?” She wondered just how much of Trunks’ emotions were tied up in jealousy. 

“Shut up that’s not the point,” he said turning red. The rest of the car ride was awkward and silent; however, when they got home, Trunks led her to his bedroom. He sat down on his bed running his hands through his hair, while she stood. 

Bulla took the opportunity to speak first. “Why were you even there?” Bulla moaned out in humiliation. Not only did her boyfriend have a very good reason to wish himself back—and therefore leaving her and choosing someone else—but her brother and her best friend’s father had walked in on her in a considerably  _ delicate  _ position.

“Goten didn’t answer his phone and Gohan couldn’t find his energy,” she and Goten tended to bring their energy levels to zero for their extracurriculars. “So he came here looking for him. I mentioned I gave him the spare apartment keys. Sorry,” he mumbled.

Then he gazed up to her looking defeated. “You lied to me. Why?” her brother asked sounding hurt. “I thought we were friends.”

“I didn’t lie exactly,” Bulla felt small and ashamed. Trunks wasn’t her father but he still tended to keep his negative emotions to himself and was never one to show vulnerability, but here he was looking extremely upset, his cream soda just sat there untouched. “We weren’t really together then.” It even sounded like bullshit to her ears. “But how did you not suspect?” She and Go-teen weren’t exactly discreet though they tried to be.

“Well excuse me for believing and trusting you.” Trunks threw his hands up in frustration. “I don’t think I want to talk to you anymore,” he said sadly quickly changing his tune, not even bothering to regard her. She wasn’t six anymore, her brother wouldn’t jump through hoops to find someone to comfort her because he couldn’t do it himself. She would have to just deal with it on her own for the moment, she realized. Bulla followed her brother’s wishes and left to the solitary confines of her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special acknowledgement to vagusvagus who helped me come up with some gags for this chapter. If you haven't already, go read her stories, they're great!


	12. No One's Better Sake

This is unusual, to say the least.  _ The four youngest hybrids were typically never alone together, not all at once. Sure, there were family and friends get-togethers but there were more people around, the four of them never hanging out just as Saiyans. _

_ It just never seemed to work out that way now that they were older and could hold conversations with the half-Saiyan boys. The girls would either be at Pan’s house while the guys hung out at Capsule Corporation or if the girls decided to chill at Bulla’s house, the guys would be occupying Uncle Goten’s apartment. Come to think of it, they didn’t exactly run in the same circles so it made the atmosphere a little awkward, and it was probably because of Bulla. _

_ Bulla with her perfect hair that she just brushed over her shoulder letting it cascade down her back, the perfect shade of azure while Pan’s was boring black, much like the rest of the population. Pan ran a hand through her spiky, thick, wiry hair with the texture of that of an elephant. But what frustrated Pan the most was that Bulla never did anything with her hair! All she ever did was put it in a headband! If she didn’t know any better, she’d say Bulla had that red headband sewn onto her head. She kept it boring, straight, long, and down. The younger girl did put it up occasionally but ever since she had grown it to her waist she kept it the same aside from the occasional trim. _

_ If Pan had that hair she’d braid it, put it in elaborate updos, cut it in layers, shoulder-length, maybe even a messy pixie cut! _

_ It wasn’t Pan’s hair envy that was making things awkward though, it was her presence. Uncle Goten because he was acting weird around her fellow female Saiyan. Maybe weird wasn’t the right word? Stiff? Uncomfortable? Distant? All of the above? It was barely perceptible but knowing her Uncle Goten as well as she did, there was always something off in the way he acted around Bulla.  _

_ Many times, when it was just her and her Uncle Goten, or she, Trunks, and Uncle Goten, he didn’t act any differently. He was his natural goofy self, even made off-color jokes at times but whenever Bulla was around it was like he pretended not to have a personality. Trunks would tease Pan, mess around with her, annoy her, but Uncle Goten was all business when Bulla was present, almost like he was on his best behavior. He wouldn’t even hug her, not that Pan thought Bulla would appreciate such a thing, but Uncle Goten was a hugger and it seemed weird he wouldn’t take the opportunity to embrace Bulla.  _ C’mon she’s adorable!  _ Pan did have her own theories, however, namely that it all had to do with an incident where Bulla almost leveled the city. _

_ As it was now, they were all super bored at the moment and small talk could only go so far, especially considering every time Uncle Goten got too engaged in a conversation he would remember he was supposed to be boring and would shut down.  _

_ “Hey, Goten!” her friend cheerily approached her uncle, the girl getting into a fighting position. “Want to go a round with me? I’ve never got a chance to test your strength. Now seems as good a time as any.” _

_ “Ah, the two exes going head to head,” Trunks piped up, causing both Goten and Bulla to give him disapproving looks which he ignored. “Well, if you two are going to go at it, how about me and you, Pan?” he turned his attention to the quarterling girl.  _

_ Pan nodded enthusiastically, “Hell yeah!” she pumped her fist in the air. “It’s been way too long but I’m thinking you won’t be much of a challenge. That office job has made you soft, I bet!” she trash-talked. _

_ “Yeah? We’ll see about that!” Trunks responded and took off his shirt. “How about you and Bulla take the South Lawn and Pan and I duke it out in the west?” he suggested to his best friend. “Then winners face each other?” _

_ “I’m in!” Bulla enthused. _

_ “Me too!” Pan agreed. She suspected that like Bulla, they were tired of sparring one another. They knew each other’s signature moves and it got too old too quickly. The three looked at Goten expectantly waiting for his response. _

_ “Sorry, Bulla, but I don’t fight young ladies,” Goten declined Bulla’s offer, taking the three aback. _

_ Before Pan could object, Bulla spoke, “What are you talking about, Goten?” Bulla asked confused and challenging, “You and Pan have been sparring since I can remember, most notably at the 28th Martial Arts tournament.” _

_ “Ouch, Bulla. Did you really have to go and mention that?” he winced comically, but smiled, “Anyway, Pan may be female, but she’s no lady.” _

_ “Hey!” Pan shouted indignantly ready to argue but one glance at her disappointed looking best friend told her where her priorities should be. Pan felt a flare of annoyance at her uncle on behalf of Bulla. “Trunks, put your shirt back on. I changed my mind,” she said leading Bulla away. _

_ Trunks nodded but made no move to put his shirt back on. Pan suspected he liked showing off his chiseled abs but there was no one there but her Uncle Goten which raised some questions for the young quarterling but she ignored him choosing to focus on her best friend instead. _

_ “Almost blow up the city once and he holds it over my head forever,” Bulla grumbled quietly to Pan as they left the room. _

_ “Why so down?” Pan asked, leading the charge to Bulla’s room. “I thought you were over him long ago.” _

_ “Of course I am,” Bulla stated plainly, not even annoyed Pan brought it up. “I just wish everyone would forget about it, especially him. I mean that’s got to be the only reason he acts so distant, right? Frankly, he needs to get over himself.” _

_ “Maybe it’s not about your crush? Maybe he’s just afraid to fight you?” Pan opined. “He got his ass kicked by four year old me,” she stated smugly reclining unto Bulla’s incredibly comfortable bed.  _ So soft, like clouds.  _ “And you can go Super Saiyan 2,” she pointed out. _

_ “That’s the thing!” Bulla exclaimed, luckily, there were far enough so that the boys didn't hear her outburst. “I’m not going to lose it. I don’t want to be his friend but I’d like not to be the girl who is only good for polite conversations. I’m not boring, you know.” _

_ “You, boring? Never!” Pan scoffed. “It’s Uncle Goten that’s boring,” she assured the younger girl. “All he does these days is lecture me about my future, wants to make sure I don’t make the same ‘mistakes’ he did, whatever that means.” _

_ “Yeah, what does that guy have to be upset about?” Bulla asked curiously. _

_ “I have no idea!” Pan was baffled, “He’s got his own place and makes decent money but he keeps going on about how he wished he had made different choices.” _

_ “Maybe it’s because of your grandma,” Bulla hypothesized, “She always goes on about how she hates his girlfriends, maybe he regrets bringing them around and making them run off?”  _

_ Pan snorted.  _ Yup, that sounds like grandma, all right.  _ “I swear, her standards are impossible, just think what it will be like when I try to bring a girl to meet her.” _

_ “I think as long as you’re happy, she’ll be happy,” Bulla told her confidently, “She loves you a whole lot and I think she trusts your judgment more than Goten’s.” Then Bulla’s face sparked in remembrance of something, “Did I ever tell you how when I was really little he came to our house crying in the middle of the night with Trunks because their night out with Yamcha went wrong?” _

_ “No, but I am intrigued. Tell me more.” _

* * *

Bulla had been up all night texting with Pan, her girl on the inside. As angry as she was, she did still care about Goten and what he might be going through. Knowing Goten’s mother fairly well, she suspected Goten wouldn’t be having an easy time. Pan hadn’t been privy to what went down but according to her, she had heard lots of yelling, some crying, frying pans hitting heads, and, unexpectedly, gleeful laughter. Pan had assured Bulla she would drop by and visit once she had gleaned more information and Bulla was waiting anxiously for any developments.

At the moment, Bulla was very upset to realize there was more to Go-teen than she had thought. She had been so into him that she hadn’t been thinking clearly, Goten had a past. He might not have remembered but nonetheless, it was important; Bulla wasn’t certain she could handle another bombshell. It had only happened yesterday but Bulla was ready for answers.

She stewed in her room waiting for Pan’s responses. She had been avoiding both of her parents, the fact that something hadn’t exploded tipped off Bulla that her dad might still be in the dark. It wasn’t just the fact that she didn’t know what was going on with Goten that made her uneasy. Trunks had gone off with their father somewhere this morning and she didn’t know what her brother would be telling the temperamental Saiyan.

For hours Bulla had tried to distract herself with something but being as nervous as she was she wasn’t able to just sit and relax to watch or read something. She was about to give up and just go for a run to rid herself of some of the excess energy when she felt her dad and brother returning to the compound. Unfortunately, they caught her as she was trying to leave. 

Vegeta hadn’t said anything to her but instead had shoved an open cardboard box and a bunch of bills at her. “For supplies,” he muttered walking away. Bulla had almost dropped the box when she realized what was inside was  _ alive. _

She knew Trunks wasn’t her biggest fan right now but she had forgotten about that as she looked inside to see  _ cats,  _ three of them, a big one she guessed was the mother and two kittens, all black and white with similar markings, she also noted the mom and one of her babies were identical.  _ Cute!  _ She wanted to squeal. She looked to Trunks who was softly smiling at her gleeful look.

“We were on our way home when dad just stopped in mid-air,” Trunks offered without her asking. “He must have heard them because he bolted into an alley and grabbed them,” Trunks said laughingly petting the identical kitten under its chin, “I guess he finally got over Scratch II’s death.”

Bulla shuffled a little uncomfortably, the least of which because she was holding a box full of cats, but also because Trunks was just watching her and the kittens. “Will you come with me to get the cats checked out?” she asked tentatively, knowing he might still be upset with her. She didn’t have a license to drive and needed a ride. True she could have called a car or her mom’s assistant but Trunks looked taken with the kitty cats and this might be a good opportunity to soften him up and explain her side.

“Sure,” he said as if nothing had happened the day before, “Call up the vet and I’ll shower real quick.” Her brother wasted no time in leaving her to get to know her new cats, if she could keep them, that is. They didn’t have collars but they could be chipped and already have a family.

While Trunks showered, Bulla gathered some cans of tuna in case the cats were hungry, and  _ were they!  _ Bulla could swear these cats had Saiyan appetites. The mom even moved in on her kittens’ food so Bulla had to open up another can for them, and then another. Eventually, the three ate enough and were ready to nap except for the identical kitten who kept meowing at her. She picked it up in her arms and it began to purr contentedly before falling asleep.

Trunks came down, ready to go, while Bulla was an immovable object. The kitten had fallen asleep on her, she couldn’t move lest she disturb it. 

“Are you ready?” he asked her, keys in hand.

“Yes,” she whispered, “But this one is asleep on my shoulder. If I move, it will wake up.”

Trunks rolled his eyes and with gentle hands, lifted the sleepy kitty from her shoulder and deposited it carefully with its mom and sibling in the cardboard box. Bulla gasped in disbelief but much to her surprise, the little kitten didn’t stir.

“Ready?” Trunks asked again, taking the box and moving toward the door.

“Fine, but that was so rude,” Bulla huffed and followed her brother, forgetting about the uneasiness between them momentarily; however once they were in the car, the awkwardness from yesterday returned.

Bulla noted Trunks clutching the steering wheel with white knuckles and a tense look on his face. This whole thing was ridiculous, she realized, she had nothing to apologize for and was ready to speak her mind but Trunks got there first.

“I didn’t tell dad,” he started and despite Bulla’s vexation at her brother, she was somewhat relieved, “but I did tell mom,” he finished.

That small feeling of relief evaporated in an instant. “Oh?” Bulla tried to keep her voice even, “And what did she have to say?”

“She got mad at me, much the way you did,” Trunks stated, still tense, but despite that, Bulla couldn’t help but burst out laughing and jostling the box of cats in her lap and waking up the identical kitten who was quickly becoming her favorite. It tried to claw its way out of the box before Bulla took pity on it and scooped it up and plunked the kitten on her shoulder.

“I knew I was right!” she gloated to her irritated looking brother, “You had no business walking in on me like that,” she stated firmly.

Still looking upset, Bulla wondered for a moment if Trunks would pull over and attempt to yell at her, he looked pretty capable at the moment.

Instead, he sighed, the tension disappearing from his noble features. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry,” he apologized, “It was Gohan who opened the door; I wanted to leave.”

“What a busybody,” Bulla muttered in annoyance. 

“You know what makes me sad though?” Trunks clearly wasn’t done saying his piece, “Despite my intuition telling me otherwise and all evidence to the contrary, I chose to believe you.”

“But I had to lie,” Bulla said quietly, letting the purring kitten on her shoulder comfort her. She had the decency to feel ashamed but she did want to explain herself.

Trunks let out a wry laugh, “Why, exactly?” his tone somewhat bitter.

“Because you wouldn’t have liked it and probably would have stopped hanging out with me,” she replied honestly, “I didn’t want to choose between you and Goten.”

Trunks didn’t look at her, no, he hadn’t looked at her at all throughout their exchange, his eyes were too busy on the road, but she watched his expression change from pained to realization. He didn’t say anything further and neither did she but luckily they were soon at the veterinarian's clinic, one that their grandparents had donated a mint to which allowed them to be seen without much notice.

The siblings were all business as they got their new pets checked out. Luckily, they were all healthy—if a little undernourished—and without microchips meaning they were free to be licensed with the Briefs as their owners. They also found out that the larger cat was not  _ mama  _ after all, but  _ papa, _ and both kittens were male as well.

Trunks left Bulla alone once they got back home, leaving Bulla to play with her new pets. Even if Trunks hadn’t told their dad anything, the man sure did know how to lift her mood. She even realized she hadn’t thought much about Goten while she was making sure the cats were okay. Checking her messages all she saw was one message from Pan:

“ _ Woah, do I have to tell you stuff. _ ”

Bulla frantically texted back asking what that stuff was but she never heard back. She contemplated going to Pan’s house herself, or just finding out where she was and startling her fellow hybrid, demanding to know what happened. Hastily, Bulla stretched out her senses to find—much to her surprise—that Pan was on her front lawn.

Wasting no time and still clutching her favorite kitten, Bulla rushed out to find her friend walking towards the house.

“Oh my god!” Bulla exclaimed, grabbing the older girl, “Tell me everything!” she demanded, pulling Pan into her bedroom against her will.

“Geez, have you been hitting the training extra hard lately?” Pan asked, rubbing her arm where Bulla had gripped her, “I think you nearly dislocated my elbow.”

“Yes, but nevermind that! What is going on? I have to know,” she pleaded.

“Okay, just chill,” Pan ordered calmly. “Who is this, by the way?” she indicated to the kitten in Bulla’s hand.

“He doesn’t have a name yet,” Bulla waved her off. “We can brainstorm later but what’s the verdict?”

“My dad went straight to grandma’s house with Goten and I’m guessing that he told her what you and Goten have been up to,” Pan began her tale. “As I said, what I heard wasn’t encouraging. When I went over, grandma didn’t seem particularly upset but she did let me see Goten—”

“You talked to him?” Bulla interrupted, “What did he say? How is he doing?” she inquired, clutching the kitten to her chest.

“Obviously, he’s super bummed but he told me to tell you he’s sorry and he’ll find a way to see you and set things right as soon as he can.”

“Maybe I should go over there, clear things up with Ms. Chi—”

“No! Absolutely not!” Pan exclaimed, the alarm in her eyes evident. 

“But why?” she asked weakly.

“Just trust me on this, okay?” Bulla nodded, agreeing with Pan’s suggestion.  _ She knows best, I guess. _

“Anyway,” Pan continued her story, “Goten is forbidden from leaving the house while grandma thinks up a punishment for him. She is really upset with him for ‘sullying your virtue’.”

“Really? She’s not mad at me?” Bulla was a little flabbergasted, she thought for sure she would be enemy number one with the Son matriarch.

“Not at all,” Pan assured her. “She just thinks Goten has committed this great sin so he’s the only one being punished, but as I said, she’s not  _ that _ upset. The person who is...is my dad,” she finished disbelievingly. 

“Yeah, he was pretty enraged when he found us together,” Bulla revealed. “He even looked more furious than he was at the waterpark.”

“He was even angry with me. I guess it was easy to figure out that I knew about it. He was really pissed I didn’t say anything, he even wanted to ground me until mom talked him out of it,” Pan said disbelievingly.

“That asshole!” Bulla couldn’t help but exclaim. He was the reason they were in this mess, if he had just waited for Goten to come home instead of going out looking for him, they wouldn’t have been caught and Bulla could have remained happily ignorant about Goten’s secret.  _ Why did he have to open that damn door?! _

“For what it’s worth, I think he sees you as another one of his kids,” Pan sighed, “It’s probably an awful feeling seeing your surrogate kid and your brother together.”

Bulla reflected on that for a moment, putting herself in Gohan’s shoes. He wasn’t being a busybody...well, actually he was, but his heart seemed to be in the right place. She just wished that sympathy he had for her would have extended to his brother as well. 

“Anyway,” Pan said, getting up, “That’s all I know but I’ve got to go. I have a date with Sasshi.”

“Wait, aren’t you going to ask how I’m doing?” Bulla couldn’t believe the callousness of her so-called “best friend.”

“Nah, you seem fine, you’ve got a brand new kitten,” Pan responded unbothered and patted him on the head. “Just don’t be surprised if my grandma comes around here proposing marriage,” she warned before she left.

And with that fleeting comment, Pan walked out leaving Bulla alone with only the nameless cats for company. She occupied herself for a good while, thinking about Gohan, Goten, ChiChi, Trunks…

_ I didn’t do anything wrong!  _ She affirmed for herself.  _ Or did I?  _ This whole thing was a huge mess that could have been avoided had she not been so impulsive and found convenient excuses to get involved with Goten instead of listening to her gut reaction which had been a resounding, “NO!”

“Is Pan gone?” Trunks peeked into her room cautiously, drawing Bulla from her thoughts.

“Yeah,” Bulla mumbled, “Why?”

“In all the time that you’ve known me, have I ever enjoyed being punched in delicate areas?” 

“I don’t know what kinky shit you’re into,” Bulla huffed.

“Whatever,” Trunks invited himself into her room and sat next to her where she was on the floor, playing with the kittens and a feather teaser.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said,” Trunks began to talk, “About me making you pick between me and Goten, and I think you’re right. I would have made you choose.”

“Yeah, well maybe I don’t need to make any choices, he’s got a fiancée,” she spat angrily.

“Hey, maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t. I’ve been letting the past cloud my view of this whole situation,” Trunks admitted, “Goten isn’t Mai, he doesn’t have divided loyalties, I doubt he even knows who the girl is, he never once asked me about any other girl besides you.”

“It doesn’t make it right,” Bulla pointed out, determined to stay angry. Being angry was easier than being depressed.

“No, it doesn’t,” Trunks conceded. “I’m not thrilled with the idea of you two either but it comes from a very selfish place.

“I can’t grasp losing my best friend to this,  _ to you _ . All those memories we had together are just gone.  _ Poof. _ There will be no more, ‘Hey Goten, remember when?’ I’ve always had him by my side for life’s greatest moments, it will be so weird to have big milestones without him,” Trunks confessed sadly. 

Bulla wondered how self-centered she and Goten were being with wanting to keep him aged down. There were many reasons for Goten to go back to his own age but there was really only one good reason to keep him sixteen.  _ Me,  _ Bulla thought.

She stayed silent, knowing she had no argument against her brother’s grief but she looked at him still and noticed he looked like a weight was lifted off of him once he finally got his feelings out.  _ How long had he been keeping it inside? His fear of losing his best friend? _

“The way that one follows you around, you should call him Little Goten,” Trunks laughingly suggested out of the blue, gesturing to the kitten on her shoulder. The others were more interested in the toys than strictly her company. _Oh right, they still didn’t have names._ _Little Goten, huh? _That broke her heart. She was still mad, but she did like the idea, she could never bring herself to actually hate Goten.

“Give me your word that if I name him that, you won’t take him for your own?” Bulla jokingly tried to extract a promise from her brother.

“No, that’s what you’re supposed to do to me. First, it was mom and dad, now all my friends,” he said wryly. “I think it suits him.”

“In that case, I dub you, Little Goten,” she told the kitten purring into her ear. “And the daddy can be Little Goku since he looks just like Little Goten, that leaves you as Little Gohan,” she addressed the other kitten who was looking at her curiously, waiting for his name. She was still mad at Little Gohan’s namesake but she couldn’t really pass up the opportunity to name her cats after the infamous Saiyan and his sons.

“Maybe don’t give up,” Trunks offered up unexpectedly, “You did lay claim to Goten first.”

Bulla rolled her eyes, “Trunks, find some new material to make fun of me for.”

He smiled mischievously but then gave her a sincere look, “I’m being serious, I honestly don’t think there’s a better guy out there,” he commented genuinely. “By the way, him being sixteen is the only reason I think that.”

“You mean you wouldn’t be cool with seventeen year old me hooking up with your thirty year old friend?” she asked in faux astonishment.

“You better believe I’d kick his ass if he came anywhere near you at his original age, and I would get Gohan and Marron to help too,” he assured her. Soon after, he left her alone to dwell on all that had been said between them.

Bulla grabbed her phone and typed out a quick message to Pan, hoping she would relay it to Go-teen. “ _ Tell him I’m mad but I’m not ready to give up. _ ” Bulla hit send.

* * *

Bulla awoke from her catnap with weak hands around her throat strangling her.

“You little shit!” the normally even-tempered woman shrieked, squeezing harder. Bulla effortlessly pulled Marron’s hands from her neck and sat up smiling.

“Chill, Marron,” Bulla tried to placate the fuming woman, “I already called someone to come and fix your door. I even talked to the landlord and she was pretty cool about it,” she shrugged.

“I can’t believe you,” Marron was still clearly pissed. “I’m not here so you basically rip out the doorknob from my door?”

“It was important, I needed to talk to you,” Bulla said rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Looking around she remembered why she would rather be here than at home. Her room was filled with little trinkets from Go-teen—he insisted she always get a little souvenir on their outings together—and the kitten that was his namesake that she couldn’t just ignore. Nothing in Marron’s apartment reminded her of Goten and it was cozy if a little messy, not pristine and impersonal like Goten’s place had been. It was on the outskirts of town and as a result, Marron got more space than what Goten got in his shoebox apartment in the middle of the city. Shaking her head,  _ This isn’t helping,  _ she tried to turn off her thoughts,  _ I came here to get away from reminders of Goten but I keep comparing everything to him. _

Marron’s expression softened but not by that much, “Why didn’t you just wait for me? Furthermore, you could have called.”

“I didn’t want to be home right now. It was driving me crazy.” Bulla stood up and started to pace around Marron’s apartment, tears welling up in her eyes. “I need advice from a real adult, not Trunks,” she said, turning to her pseudo older sister.  _ If anyone knows what to do, it’s Marron. _

“Oh, honey,” Marron’s anger dissipating upon seeing the tears in Bulla’s eyes. The junior detective sank into her couch and patted the spot next to her. “What happened?”

Taking that as an invitation, Bulla curled up on the couch and placed her head in Marron’s lap. They looked silly, she knew, Bulla was noticeably taller than Marron now and plus, she was also seventeen, the whole position was rather childish. Bulla even heard Marron sigh in resignation, but she also saw the uptake in the corner of the blonde’s mouth.  _ Whatever, this makes me feel way better. _

“We got caught,” Bulla sniffled out. “Gohan  _ and _ Trunks saw me naked and Gohan said mean things to Goten.”

“Yeah, I heard from Trunks,” Marron offered, her tone sympathetic.

“What did he say?” Bulla asked. She wondered if Marron had gotten the whole story, including the bit about the possible mystery woman, that was the part that was hurting her the most.

“Just that he and Gohan caught you in flagrante delicto. He seemed more upset that the sister he thought he was growing closer to was keeping something significant from him.”

“Yeah…”

“Is there more?”

“Yes.”

“You said you needed to talk,” Marron prodded her. 

“I did.”

“So talk,” Marron gently ordered.

Bulla started by recounting how upset Gohan had been, attacking Goten’s character, grilling Bulla on the future with questions she knew no definitive answer to, tears spilling freely as she recounted her tale.

“I can see where Gohan’s coming from, he’s probably seen it a lot being a college professor,” Marron said resignedly. 

“What do you mean?” Bulla jumped up looking at Marron accusingly, wiping the tears with her long sleeves.  _ Did you forget what Marron was like? She wasn’t going to pat you on the back for sleeping with Goten. _

“Young couples, fresh out of high school don’t know what they want, end up growing apart or making irreversible plans and giving something up betting on the relationship to work out but they’re young and it doesn’t,” Marron lightly explained. “It’s happened to me too,” she admitted, sounding detached from the situation. 

“Huh?” Bulla turned to Marron, “Is that why you broke up with Richie?” Bulla had only heard a few vague things about Marron’s only serious relationship. “And then that’s why you went on a date with Goten, like a rebound?” Bulla couldn’t resist asking now that Marron was getting personal about her own life.

Marron stared back at her stunned, “How did you know about that? It was years ago.”

“ChiChi told me,” the girl said wryly. “But you never did.”

“Sorry,” Marron had the grace to look slightly ashamed.

“Afraid I was going to break your nose if I found out?” Bulla asked testily. She hated how  _ even Marron  _ held her one time crush and emotional outburst over her head.

“No,” Marron shook her head, “I didn’t want to make it seem like I was rubbing something you once wanted in your face.”

“That was nice of you, if super unnecessary,” Bulla replied. “So why didn’t you hit it off with Goten?” She had wondered for a while if there could have been something between the two immutable friends, on paper it sounded like a feel good story.

Marron had a thoughtful look on her face and started to laugh, “I think he felt as uncomfortable as I was, it was just so  _ weird _ and  _ wrong. _ ”

“Would you believe me if I said being with Goten felt so normal and right?” Bulla sighed. “I wish I would have talked to you. I was such a mess after Go-teen tried to kiss me and I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. My West City friends wouldn’t have understood that he was really twenty-nine and Pan was spending all her free time with Sasshi. If I had you, maybe I wouldn’t have gone down that road with him,” she confessed. “How did things get so complicated? It was so much easier just having a little secret between me and Goten.”

“It was never uncomplicated, you were only thinking about the consequences to  _ yourselves _ ,” Marron laid the hard truth on her, “But you’re teenagers so it’s expected. I knew there was a reason you were avoiding me so I tried to stay out of it. I can’t lie and say I would have been okay with it. People just can’t up and abandon their lives and start over without leaving a lot behind,” Marron spoke wisely.

“It hardly matters now,” Bulla said settling her head back on Marron’s lap, the tears welling up again, “He wanted to marry someone else.”

“What?!” Marron exclaimed shocked. This was the first time Bulla had seen the wily woman stunned.  _ She really had no idea either. _

“Some detective you are,” Bulla mouthed off sarcastically, “Were you and Trunks really so far up your own asses you weren’t paying attention to your lifelong friend?” she asked slightly antagonistic. “He found an engagement ring with an inscription in it. He was the giver.”

“Poor Goten,” Marron opted to say instead of answering Bulla’s question. “I guess we were bad friends,” she conceded. “But you don’t know that this relationship is a recent thing. It could be old…” she trailed off then sighed, “but then I’m sure Trunks and I would have heard about it.”

“What would you do if you were me?” Bulla asked timidly. 

“I like to learn all I can before I act. I would find out who she is and get to the bottom of things.”

* * *

Bulla sighed contentedly, it was nice just to chill and float around the pool pretending like nothing was wrong. She was even hanging out with Chemise and Paisley, two friends who were far from the drama of her personal life. 

“Do you want to—I don’t know—do something later?” Chemise asked though she sounded incredibly lazy. 

“What is there to do?” Bulla sighed feeling as listless as she assumed the others were. 

“So, like, what happened to Goten?” Paisley asked sounding a bit disinterested. “You two were always like  _ so _ over each other and now you’re like hanging out with us instead.”

“Oh-em-gee, Paisley! Shut up!” Chemise chastised their friend. “We’re here to help her forget about him.”

“Thanks, Chemise,” Bulla mumbled to her appreciatively. Her days were filled with her mind replaying that moment when she read that inscription on that ring. 

“Okay, but tell us,” Chemise quickly changed tune. 

“Yeah, he was totally hot,” Paisley piped up, “Oh my god, Chemise, remember when he took his shirt off?” the idle girl was now fully animated.

“Oh, I know!” The two twittered like so for a while getting thirsty over who was now truly another one of Bulla’s ex-boyfriends. 

Couldn’t they see that Goten was more than just his hotness? He was sweet, smart—well, to an extent—charming, and most of all just a plain  _ good  _ guy. He made her feel worthy and valued for just more than her looks and money and he showed her new things that became common interests between them. It hurt her unimaginably so that she might have to give him up.

The gushing over Goten was starting to wear on her nerves. “Okay! Fine! I’ll tell you!” she loudly conceded to them, making them stop talking abruptly. The two girls looked at Bulla expectantly ready for her to speak.

“As it turns out, I might be the other woman,” Bulla admitted quietly. 

Chemise gasped, “Him? No way! He was, like, so into you!”

Paisley was more jaded, “He’s still male. And it’s always the nice ones you least suspect.”

“How did you even find out?” Chemise asked now sitting at the end of her floating lounger, lethargy seemingly leaving her for good though not Paisley who stayed on her back, appearing not as intrigued. 

_ Ugh, how do I explain without explaining everything? _

“His brother let something slip,” Bulla started slowly, trying to tell the truth while not giving the whole story, “When I confronted him, he didn’t deny it. That’s all I really want to say,” she choked out at the end, tears welling up in her eyes but she repressed them. 

The two girls looked away from her ashamed and both mumbled apologies. 

Bulla had just wanted to hang out and relax in these lazy days of summer, but she was roped into telling a redacted version of her and Goten’s break up. She thought that was the worst of it until she felt two familiar energies approach her family’s compound. 

She rapidly sat up no longer feeling melancholic and devoid of energy. Her friends noticed her jumpiness and asked what was wrong. 

“Unexpected visitors,” was all she could say as she watched the spiky-haired man and his wife march to the entrance of her house.  _ Oh no, now we’re in for it. _

“Hey, I know that guy,” Chemise said looking in the same direction as Bulla. 

“What? How?” She inquired surprised by that revelation. 

“You never forget a hairdo like that. He’s come by a few times when I was working in my family’s shop. He’s bought some nice pieces.”

That was odd. Chemise’s family owned a high-end jewelry store and she had never seen any finery on ChiChi.  _ Of course, Goten did say Goku had a habit of buying her mom presents.  _

“Guys? Just chill here for a sec. I need to see what’s going on,” Bulla swam to the edge of the pool and lifted herself out quickly making it to her house. She could guess why Goten’s parents were here and she wasn’t going to let the adults discuss her while she wasn’t present. 

Making it inside soon after ChiChi and Goku, Bulla looked to her parents, nothing seemed unusual and that was the problem. One would think that after learning their seventeen year old daughter was caught fucking a legally twenty-nine year old man that they would have some sort of reaction, but all they did was go about their day calmly. Her mom drank her herbal tea, looking at her tablet while her dad went to town on some leftovers on the couch, neither of them paying attention to Bulla or the other two adults that had just entered either.

Bulla couldn’t decide if she had great parents or neglectful ones. 

She found she had came in just in time to hear ChiChi speak. 

“My son has done your family great dishonor by bedding your daughter before marriage. It is only right that our children marry. Since our son seduced your daughter, it’s only fair that we proceed with no dowry,” ChiChi recited calmly and mechanically like she had been practicing. 

“Deal,” Vegeta stretched out his hand to the Son matriarch. 

“Vegeta, no!” Bulma slapped his hand away, seemingly paying attention, for the first time, to what was going on.

“Thank you for the offer, ChiChi, we—uh, appreciate it but that’s not how we do things in the Western region,” Bulma sheepishly told the other woman. 

“I see,” ChiChi narrowed her eyes. “You would like to negotiate further, perhaps a bride price?” the woman took it upon herself to settle at their breakfast table where she was shortly joined by Vegeta. “I can offer a crate of radishes.”

“Done,” Vegeta offered his hand to ChiChi once again.

“Stop it!” Her mom warned her dad, “We aren’t selling away Bulla’s choices! And not at such a ridiculous offer either! She’s only seventeen,” her mom reminded her dad wearily. 

“Isn’t that what fathers do on Earth? Be the gatekeepers of their daughter’s genitals? Frankly, I find it disgusting,” Vegeta spat, “but you’re always saying I need to be more involved!”

“Not by selling our daughter and agreeing with Chi Chi’s low-balling tactics!” her mom scolded her dad.

“I’ll throw in a sack of grain,” ChiChi countered, her eyes and voice shrewd.

“Bulma, I think we should take it,” Vegeta whispered to her mom before pausing for a moment, “Or maybe we should hold out, the offer gets better every time,” he mused rubbing his chin in thought.

“No, Vegeta,” her mom was massaging her temples in annoyance. She turned back to the Son matriarch, “ChiChi, even if we wanted to, we can’t force Bulla to marry Goten. For one, it’s illegal, and two she’s too young, she might change her mind down the line,” her mother thankfully pointed out.

“I was only eighteen when I got married,” ChiChi huffed. “And twelve when my marriage was arranged.”

“And how well did that work out for you?” Her mother asked the other woman dully. Both women looked to ChiChi’s husband who had invited himself to their family fridge. Currently, he had a baguette in his mouth while his arms were laden with other foodstuffs. Neither of them said anything else.

“I can’t believe you’re discussing me like I’m not even here!” Bulla finally burst out once there was a moment where she could get a word in. She stomped over still clad in her wet swimsuit, “And Goten isn’t here for that matter either. I bet he has a lot he needs to tell you,” Bulla said vaguely remembering he may have another woman waiting for him somewhere. “Where is he anyway?”

“That fiend is on house arrest!” ChiChi fumed but softened upon seeing her. “Oh come here, my poor girl,” she opened her arms up to Bulla, enveloping her in an awkward hug, getting a little damp in the process. ChiChi separated from her and held her out at arm’s length, grasping her hands. Bulla looked around at the room, feeling a little reassured her parents looked as bewildered as she felt. “I am so sorry for what my Goten did to you,” the older woman said sincerely, “I can’t help but feel responsible. I had no idea pushing you two to spend time together would turn into  _ this. _ ”

“Um, really, it’s okay ChiChi,” Bulla could feel her face heating up tremendously, “I was uh, a willing participant,” she admitted, much to her shame.

“No, no! It’s not okay,” ChiChi began to wail, gripping Bulla’s hands tighter, “He ruined you for anyone else!” she almost screamed, squeezing her hands hard enough for Bulla to raise her energy to compensate, “It was his selfish way of trapping you!” she was nearly sobbing. “I wanted it to happen but not like this! No, not like this!”

“My daughter isn’t ruined,” for once Vegeta spoke up for Bulla defensively. Bulma managed to separate ChiChi from her daughter. Luckily, Goku came over and attempted to comfort his now openly crying wife. 

“Bulla, nothing is being decided without you and Goten. Why don’t you go back to your friends? Have fun and don’t worry,” her mom assured her, pulling her away from the hysterical woman. Then she got up close and whispered in Bulla’s ear, “This isn’t really as big of a deal as ChiChi is making it out to be. We trust you,” she winked at her and Bulla couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. “We’ll—no, I guess I’ll calm her down and convince her to back off, maybe even get her to let you see Goten soon.” It’s not that her parents didn’t care but they had faith in her to make her own decisions, Bulla realized. She had great parents after all.

* * *

Bulla wondered why she ever wanted to meet Lord Beerus. Apparently, this was a common occurrence before Beerus took his extended nap. He and Whis would come to their house and eat but not do much else. In any case, since her mom was busy, she was tasked with procuring food for them. As it was, they were sitting outside, eating al fresco. It also helped since Bulla was ordering in and being outside made it easy to spot the delivery drivers. 

“I must say, Bulla, your youthful approach has yielded such incredible results!” Whis gushed, “What is this delectable wonder? The texture is so unique!” He asked, holding up a pastry. 

“It’s a mix between a croissant and a doughnut,” she answered bored. Lord Beerus wasn’t half as fun as she thought he would be. He would just take a bite of whatever she had ordered in, look stunned for a moment, gobble it down rapidly, and then repeat with the next food, not saying anything. 

_ Is that?  _ Bulla could scarcely believe it. She pushed back her chair abruptly making a horrible screeching sound that caused the two immortals to look at her in mild alarm.  _ Goten’s here!  _ Her chest was heaving up and down with deep breaths, she felt like she just been under 500Gs of gravity or in one of those suits Whis had put her in when she asked for training. 

Bulla looked around wildly, wondering where he would land. Was he here to see Trunks? Did he come to see her? Or did ChiChi force him to come here and apologize to her parents for deflowering her?

“Goten,” she said, the breath knocked out of her again as she saw him for the first time in weeks as he landed in front of her. He looked as bad as she felt. He had let his hair grow out and he was dangerously close to looking exactly like Goku again.  _ The Goten I know would hate that.  _

“You look familiar,” the cat-man’s eyes narrowed on Goten, not keen to ignore Goten’s presence. Quicker than she could even see, the god had gripped Goten by the upper arm and formed a dark ball of energy and held it close to Goten’s terrified face. “You’re Goku’s younger son, the one that can fuse?” Goten aggressively nodded to the destroyer god’s inquiry. “Have you been messing with time?!” He screamed in Goten’s face. 

“Lord Beerus—” Bulla intervened. Yeah, she had been mad but she would never want Goten’s soul destroyed. 

“Call me Uncle Beerus,” he said calmly, not sparing a glance at her. He kept his eyes firmly on the squirming teenage boy he had in his—no doubt—painful grip. 

“Ookay…” Bulla started off bemused, “Goten isn’t from the past, he made a wish with Earth’s dragon balls to make himself younger,” the God of Destruction looked at her expectantly, “Uncle Beerus,” she finished.

The destroyer god then loosened his grip on Goten’s upper arm and dissipated the dark ball of energy in his hand but didn’t let go. Beerus looked back and forth from the two hybrids with suspicious eyes.

“You let her have every last morsel,” he intoned dangerously, “I’m not afraid of your mother. Understand?”  _ What? How does he know?! _

“Y-yes, Uncle Beerus,” Goten acquiesced nervously.

“No,” he growled at the boy, “ _ Lord  _ Beerus _ .”  _ The God of Destruction finally let go of Goten and sat back at the table, trying more food like nothing happened. 

Goten stood frozen, clearly not expecting that kind of greeting. Their energies were impossible to sense and he must have thought she was out here alone. 

“If you’ll excuse us,” she spoke to Beerus and Whis. 

“Of course,” Whis said delightfully like his master hadn’t just threatened to end someone a few moments ago, “I’ll just be enjoying—this—what did you call it?” He pointed to the overly indulgent dessert. 

“It’s just a milkshake taken to extremes!” she shouted over her shoulder as she rushed Goten to the privacy of her home, away from her ‘guests’.

Bulla didn’t say anything until they were in the sanctuary of her room and she shut the door behind her. After all the weeks alone, she had been running the scenario in her head, imagining what she would say to Goten once she saw him again. Now she had her opportunity and she wasn’t going to give him the chance to speak first.

“Goten, that was incredibly shitty of you,” Bulla growled out in anger.

“I know,” he admitted, not defending himself or saying anything else.

“Why did you let me go down the rabbit hole with you?” Bulla needed to know, “You said you found out before you even tried to kiss me. You knew there could be someone waiting for you but you chose to strike something up with me? That’s so unfair to both of us. Do you even know who she is? Have you gone to see her?” Bulla rattled off her questions to the chastised teenage boy.

Goten shook his head, “I don’t know her, I don’t want to. Believe me, you’re the only one.” He stared at her earnestly like he was imploring her to believe him, and she did but she couldn’t let it go.

“Goten, that’s not good enough,” she shook her head. “I’m not questioning your loyalty to me. I just—I just don’t know how to feel!” Bulla threw up her hands and paced not sparing a glance at the ashamed Goten sitting on her bed. 

“I know you’ve always meant well but did you ever stop to think beyond me and you?” Bulla asked quietly, Marron’s words from a while ago resonating with her. 

Goten let out a deep breath, “No, I haven’t. I think I had tunnel vision since I saw you.” Bulla knew he was just being honest and not trying to butter her up. She could understand, it was kind of the same for her.

“I think it’s only fair we get to the bottom of things,” Bulla suggested tentatively. She knew even before this latest revelation he hadn’t been keen on exploring his old life but now it seemed like a necessity.

“What do you mean?” he looked to her curiously.

“First, the right thing to do is to find out who she is and explain things to her. It’s only fair.”

By his downturned head and closed off body language, Bulla knew he wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

“Fine,” was all he said, quickly and sharply.

Bulla sighed, “Maybe it’s nothing, maybe she said no and you’re broken up. The main thing is I would feel a lot better knowing I’m not the other woman.”

Goten inhaled deeply, “You’re right. But what about us?” With weeks apart from Goten, Bulla had also given thought to where their relationship stood and until she knew for certain that mystery woman didn’t lay claim to him first, she couldn’t in good conscience continue on with him in a romantic capacity and told him as much.

“We can still be friends,” Bulla offered.

“I don’t want to be friends,” he said quietly.

“Neither do I but it’s the right thing for the moment,” Bulla said, the disappointment evident in her voice. Something was niggling at the back of her mind though, “Why are you even here? I thought your mom would have had you under lock and key.”

“Yeah, she’s still really mad at me but with some help from Videl and Bulma, mom finally let me out for good behavior. Obviously, no funny business is one of the conditions for my parole.”

“She’s a human, how can she even tell?” Bulla scoffed.

“She may be human but she has this supernatural ability to tell when I’m lying,” Goten stated plainly.

“I don’t think she has any special abilities, you’re just a very bad liar and easy to read,” Bulla said, causing both of them to crack a smile for the first time since the start of their encounter.

Before anything else could be said between them, Bulla felt her dad’s energy approach her door. She preemptively opened it in the hopes her dad would see that there was nothing untoward going on between the two teenagers.

Vegeta didn’t say anything but shoved a little ball of blue fur and a wad of cash into Goten’s hands before the teenage boy could protest. “This is yours now,” he said before stoically walking away and not speaking another word.

“You know, daddy, if you made some cat videos, you might get more traffic to your account!” Bulla called out to Vegeta’s retreating form. 

Goten stared at Vegeta’s withdrawing figure and back to Bulla blankly. “What am I supposed to do now?” he asked, awkwardly holding the kitten and money Vegeta had just given him.

“You heard him. She’s yours now,” Bulla shrugged at him, petting his new kitten with the soft blue fur. “C’mon, I know a vet. Trunks will give us a ride but he’ll probably want to yell at you first.”


	13. This Girl

_ Videl said to make sure not to wake Bulla up, but she said nothing about their own daughter. Gohan crept into the bedroom where the two little girls were sleeping and went to Pan’s side of the bed trying to nudge her awake. “Pan,” he whispered softly but his daughter didn’t stir. It had been the girls’ first sleepover and no doubt they were exhausted, there had been much giggling and playing for the three and four year olds. Vegeta and Bulma were away on business, and with Trunks and his grandparents being too enfeebled to look after the half-Saiyan toddler, it was up to Gohan and Videl to take Bulla in for the night. _

_ Disappointed he turned to leave, that is until he heard a small quiet voice softly say, “Mr. Gohan?” Gohan turned from the doorway to look at the little girl who had been stirred awake by his attempt to rouse Pan. _

_ “Hey there,” Gohan moved to the side of the bed Bulla had claimed, “Sorry I woke you up, you can go back to sleep, sweetie,” he told the little girl as quietly as possible. _

_ Instead of complying, Bulla whispered back to him, “My daddy come when I’m sleepy too. Mommy says he protect me.”  _

_ Gohan smiled at the confession from the little girl, everyone knew Vegeta was a huge softy when it came to his daughter. “Did you come to protect me?” she asked.  _

_ Shaking his head, Gohan explained, “There’s a meteor shower going on right now. I wanted to show Pan.” _

_ Bulla’s eyes grew wide in wonder, “What’s a meatier shower?” _

_ Gohan couldn’t help but chuckle at the three year old, “Me-tee-or shower,” he enunciated, “Would you like to see?” he offered the little girl. She nodded her head enthusiastically and held her arms out to be picked up Gohan who complied. She was such a light little thing, weighing less than a sack of rice, only made more apparent by the baggy nightgown that practically swallowed her. _

_ Much to his disappointment, Pan hadn’t roused from her sleep and wouldn’t be joining them it seemed. Bulla rested her head on his shoulder tiredly and he wondered if he should just put her back to bed, but on second thought, he decided he would let her choose. He could carry her back if she ended up falling asleep, a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. Still, he was glad for the company. With his free hand, he grabbed a throw off the couch and wrapped it around Bulla. It was cold on Mount Paozu but on nights like these, he was glad he moved his family from the light-polluted Satan City. _

_ “Look at the sky!” he said in quiet wonder to Bulla right as they made it outside. _

_ “Wow!” she said breathlessly now fully awake, lifting her head from his shoulder, “Shooting stars!” she pointed to the falling meteors in the sky, tracking their movements with her finger.  _

_ “People call them that, but technically speaking, they aren’t stars,” Gohan explained to the now confused Bulla, “They’re falling space rocks coming into the Earth.” _

_ “Rocks are going to hit me?!” she squealed and covered her head with her hands. _

_ “Don’t worry, Bulla, I’ll knock them away before they can get to you,” a familiar presence made itself known to them.  _

_ Shaken out of her fear, Bulla excited reached out to Gohan’s younger brother, “Goten! Goten!” she exclaimed excitedly. _

_ “If you paid attention in your classes you would know most are smaller than a grain of sand and will disintegrate before they can hit the Earth’s surface,” Gohan mumbled to his approaching brother. _

_ Goten ignored him and turned his attention to the bundle in his arms, “Hey Bulla! What’s the cutest little half-Saiyan doing up so late outside?” he asked the giggling toddler. _

_ “Don’t let Trunks hear you say that,” Gohan muttered under his breath. _

_ “I’m watching the meatier shower!” Bulla told Goten proudly. _

_ “I wish it was a meatier shower,” Goten said wistfully licking his lips. He gave a squeeze to the little girl’s cheek and she shyly buried her face into Gohan’s neck for a moment. _

_ “What are you doing out here so late? Sneaking back home after a night out?” Gohan asked accusingly. _

_ “No, nothing like that,” Goten replied unfazed, “Extra credit assignment,” he said taking out a small notebook from his back pocket. “Now what were you saying? What exactly are meteors?” the teenage boy asked him boredly with a pencil in hand. _

_ “Not stars!” Bulla offered Goten. _

_ The boy laughed and pretended to jot it down in his notebook. Gohan couldn’t help but crack a smile at the little girl in arms. If he wasn’t sure before, now he knew how she managed to make the god of destruction and his attendant melt. _

_ “What else did I say, Bulla?” Gohan prompted her. _

_ She looked thoughtful for a moment, “Very small space rocks that fell down. They can’t hurt me.” _

_ “Aren’t you the bright one! You’re already smarter than old Goten,” he praised the delighted girl much to the chagrin of the unamused Goten. _

_ Gohan decided to help the boy out knowing he wasn’t doing so well in school and probably needed the extra credit to pass, though Gohan couldn’t help but feel a little bitter his mom wouldn’t let him get away with what Goten was doing when he was his age. _

_ Explaining all he knew about the annual meteor shower, Gohan noticed Bulla was intently listening while Goten lazily took notes on just about every third thing Gohan said.  _ I did all I could, mom. It’s not my fault if he doesn’t pass.

_ “Mr. Gohan?” Bulla piped up after a period of silence. “If they not shooting stars, can we still make wishes?” Bulla innocently asked. _

_ “Why wish upon a star when you can wish on the dragon balls?” Goten scoffed. _

_ “Well, yes, but with dragon balls there are rules,” Gohan explained to the girl, “Maybe it won’t come true but when you wish upon a star you can wish for anything your heart desires. Shenron can’t grant everything,” _

_ “At least Shenron’s wishes come true,” Goten didn’t even bother to say quietly. Gohan glared at the teenager’s callous observation and ignored him. _

_ “You make a wish on any meteor you want,” Gohan told Bulla firmly, “but you can’t tell anyone what your wish is or else it won’t come true,” he warned her. Letting out a small gasp, Bulla quickly clasped her hands over her mouth and stared at the sky. “All done?” Gohan asked the toddler after a few quiet moments. She nodded. “Ready to go back inside?” she nodded again. _

_ “Good luck on your assignment,” Gohan expressed genuinely to his brother, “but we’ve got to go back to sleep,” he approached Goten and gave him a pat on the shoulder. _

_ “Bye, Goten,” the sleepy three year old said softly to the teen. _

_ “Sweet dreams,” he replied to both and made the retreat back to his house. _

_ Soon, with Bulla still in his arms, the pair made it to the front door. “It’s boo-tiful,” Bulla said in awe, taking one last look at the sky. _

_ “Sure is,” Gohan agreed, “and thank you for sharing it with me, Bulla.” _

* * *

”I don’t wanna!” Goten was an immovable object. “You lied! You said we were going for ice cream.”

“I liked you better when you were trying to impress me because believe me, Goten, this isn’t it,” Bulla stopped pulling, or rather trying to pull him, for a second to catch her breath. She knew better than to loosen her grip on his wrist though, no doubt he’d try to run back into his house. “You know I can just pick you up, right?!” Bulla shrieked in frustration.

They were in a tug of war with one another, each pulling in a different direction, she towards Gohan’s house, and he seemingly anywhere else that wasn’t his brother’s domicile.

“He’s mean!” was all he could say in protest and further planted his heels into the ground while Bulla fruitlessly pulled.

“Look, I don’t want to go in either but he’s the best lead we have,” Bulla said resignedly. Instead of seeing sense like she thought he might, he gave her  _ that look  _ again, the one he had so much success with when it came to her and just about everyone else. “Stop it with that face, I know what you’re doing,” Bulla grumbled angrily, avoiding his gaze and still trying to pull Goten to the door. Realizing his puppy look wasn’t going to persuade Bulla, he started scowling again. “Please, that won’t work either. My dad is the king of sour faces and never once has it swayed me.”

“You can go talk to him alone then,” Goten responded like a petulant child.

“I don’t want to go in alone! Need I remind you, he saw me naked?! That’s all well and good for you since you’ve probably seen each other’s junk loads of times BUT GOHAN WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SEE MY TITS AND DID YOU SEE THE WAY HE JUST KEPT STARING!?” she couldn’t help but scream out the last part, her fuse just about running out.

“WOULD THE TWO OF YOU JUST SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHAT YOU CAME TO TELL ME?!” a frustrated voice shouted from the window of the simple home. Gohan’s whole face was red, Bulla guessed more out of embarrassment than anger. Bulla let go of the resisting Goten and he promptly fell on his ass. Bulla scrambled to grab onto his pant leg in case he tried to run off again.

The older man sighed and rubbed his forehead, “I heard just about everything you’ve been saying. You’re literally three meters away.”

“You’re acting like a child,” Bulla ignored Gohan and turned to Goten who was now hastily unbuckling his belt to get out of his pants. 

“He’s always been infantile,” the older Son brother remarked.

“Enough of this,” Bulla rolled her eyes and gripped Goten’s ‘Goten Son’ shirt tightly in her fist. “Either you come with me inside Gohan’s house or I am ripping this shirt off your body and blasting it into ashes,” she threatened, knowing it was his favorite.

Goten gulped but nodded, “You’re so hot right now.”

She turned away so Goten wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing how he still affected her, Bulla couldn’t help but blush and smirk, his words pleasing her; however, that didn’t mean Gohan didn’t see...

“Oh come on!” Gohan yelled in disbelief from the window.

Letting go of Goten, Bulla made her way into the house where Gohan was still staring out the window. She checked behind her making sure Goten was following her which he was, yet she couldn’t resist taking a shot, “It was so much easier controlling you through sex.” Bulla turned forward just in time to see the reviled look on Gohan’s face.

“Just stop talking, please,” the weary man requested. The two teenagers acquiesced and silently let themselves into the house. Bulla plopped herself on the couch while Goten claimed an armchair a ways away from her. They were shortly joined by the professor himself who took the other armchair in the sitting room.

“So why are you two here?” Gohan asked, detached and impersonal, legs crossed and fingers steepled as if he was a disinterested therapist.

“I don’t know, ask her,” Goten answered moodily, crossing his arms and pouting.

Bulla let out a scoff but took the reigns in explaining to Gohan, “We were wondering if you know who Goten’s engagement ring was for.”

Gohan’s eyebrows raised in surprise and he leaned forward in his chair, “Really? I would have thought you would have wanted to leave that behind,” he addressed his brother.

“I do—” Goten began.

“—But I don’t,” Bulla interrupted before Goten could say more. Furthermore, she was annoyed that Gohan was all but ignoring her in favor of trying to get his brother into another ‘gotcha!’ moment. “Not that it’s any of your business but I can’t in good conscience pursue a relationship with Goten knowing he may or may not be available, so we need to know who she is—”

“So I can break up with her,” Goten interjected, finishing Bulla’s sentence with an idea of his own.

“Seriously?” Bulla turned to her temporarily-on-hold-boyfriend. “You would be that big of an ass?”

“Sorry,” Goten looked perfectly chastised, “but I just know my feelings for you won’t change. I told you already. I don’t want anyone else,” he told her resolutely.

“Yes, all very touching,” Gohan rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure you thought about your old flame the same way.”

“Gohan, stop giving your unsolicited opinions and tell them what they want to know,” a calm feminine voice came from the stairwell.

Gohan frowned at his wife, but if Bulla was right about their dynamic, she knew Gohan would kowtow to anything Videl said.

“Videl,” he began but shut his mouth when his wife raised an eyebrow at him. The older man sighed and wiped his glasses. “Truthfully, I don’t know,” he admitted. “One day, a few weeks before the wish, you came to me asking to borrow money,” once again Gohan ignored Bulla and focused his attention on Go-teen. “Of course, I had to ask what for, and you said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that fate was giving you a second chance.”

“How come you didn’t tell Goten any of this before?” Bulla had to cut in. “You’ve been sitting on pertinent information for months. You could have stopped this all before it began,” she pointed out.

“I didn’t actually know if Goten had gone through with buying a ring until he confirmed it for me that day,” he said, his cheeks turning pink. As much as she hated it, Bulla’s cheeks began to heat up as well remembering how he had found them.

Before Bulla could process how close she had come to not finding out, Goten had jumped from his chair and tackled his brother and landed a sickening punch to Gohan’s face, breaking the scholar’s glasses.

“You manipulative bastard!” Goten managed to get out before Gohan responded with a punch of his own, knocking Goten off of him. Thinking quickly, Bulla put herself between the two males before they could do anything more.

“You two are NOT going to ruin Videl’s nice house,” she ordered them. Each brother stared at each other intensely trying to control their breathing but assented and moved to opposite sides of the room.

“Come on, Bulla. Let’s go,” Goten spat out. “He doesn’t know anything,” the teenage boy moved to leave. 

“I know you better than you do,” Gohan called out. He seemingly couldn’t resist antagonizing his little brother.

“Don’t be like that, Gohan. If you would only stop to think about it like the scholar I know you are, you would see Go-teen isn’t the same person as Goten was,” Videl tried to reason with her husband gently. Despite the tense situation, Bulla couldn’t help but puff up with pride since everyone was using her nickname for Goten.

“That’s not his name. He’s Goten,” Gohan insisted.

“I know you miss him,” Videl said in understanding and went to comfort her husband, apparently unfazed the two Sons were at each other’s throats just a moment ago. “But this is a new reality and you can’t make decisions for him.”

Bulla was taken aback about this latest revelation.  _ Of course, Gohan would miss Goten from before, just like Trunks, he’s lost someone incredibly close to him. Just another reason for Goten to age himself back _ , Bulla thought sadly.  _ Are we fighting a losing battle?  _ She wasn’t the only one affected as she noted Go-teen had stopped frozen in his tracks probably realizing what Bulla was starting to grasp. It was more than just the two of them who the wish affected.

Gohan silently nodded at Videl’s words and returned to his chair, sitting back and looking drained. 

“I want my brother back,” Gohan said quietly. “We’re supposed to be a team, take care of mom together when she gets older. How can I do it without you?” He was saying this to no one in particular.

“I’m not dead,” Goten tried to reassure his brother, “I’ll still be there for you no matter what. Besides we have years ahead of us before mom needs to rely on us.”

“Haven’t you noticed how crazy mom has been lately?” Gohan pointed out to his brother. “Didn’t she try to buy you from your parents for a bunch of carrots?” Gohan finally deigned to acknowledge Bulla.

“It was radishes,” Bulla muttered, not liking ChiChi’s assessment of her worth.

“You can’t pin that on me! She was always crazy!” Goten countered. Bulla turned to look at Videl who was nodding along in agreement.

“Look, I don’t know who the ring was for but I do know where you wanted to get it,” Gohan said resigned to helping the two teens, the atmosphere still tense. “The price tag was pretty hefty and you said nothing in that shop was less than one million zeni. Maybe you took her to pick it out. You can ask someone who works there if they recognize you,” Gohan offered. “Diamonds and Sky Gold.”

Bulla let out a small gasp, “That’s Chemise’s family’s store!” She pulled out her phone and began texting furiously. “I’ll see when her parents are forcing her to work again. We can visit her, she might know,” Bulla spoke her plan out loud.

“You might also want to look into this one girl,” Gohan added, “From what I know, Goten’s only ever dated one girl with expensive tastes.”

“Valese,” the brothers said at the same time. Bulla had heard that name uttered before when they had been confronted in Goten’s apartment, she must have meant something to Goten.  _ That’s definitely going to be a stop on our trip. _

* * *

“Whoever she is, why do you think we haven’t heard from her?” Goten asked Bulla as they walked to the jewelry store. 

That was a very good question, Bulla had to admit. If Goten was as serious as he seemed to be about this woman, one would think she would have made herself known. They were edging closer and closer to a year of Go-teen and no one from his old life had appeared, a fact that Bulla knew made him less determined to return to the status quo.

“We never did check what was in those capsules, maybe she’s a blow-up doll.”

“You really think I would buy an expensive engagement ring for an inanimate object?”

“No, but it would be funny.” Bulla had to make a joke considering what the alternative would be.

Reluctantly turning serious for a moment, “Maybe she was and we missed the signs?” Bulla said. “Then she figured you were over and gave up?”

“Maybe,” Goten agreed. “You’re much more fun to be around and too much of a distraction.” Goten moved closer to her and attempted to put his arm around her, but she shied away from him.

“No, Goten,” she shook her head at him though she longed for his touch. “Not until we get to the bottom of things.”

They spent the rest of the journey in silence until they came upon the infamous jewelry store where Goten bought the engagement ring for the mystery woman.

This was not a store one could just waltz into, you had to be buzzed in and from what Chemise told her, they rejected more people than they let in. Luckily for the two hybrids, Bulla had an in with the owners and even if she didn’t, she was still Bulla FREAKIN’ Briefs.

Gesturing to the burly armed security guard, “I can take him,” Goten whispered in Bulla’s ear, a pleasurable shiver overtaking her body. It had been weeks without ChiChi’s so-called ‘funny business’ and Bulla was having a harder time than she thought she would.

Their tense body language must have tipped off the security guard because he started walking toward them. Fate intervened, however, and Chemise came over to greet them. “Bulla!” she called out excitedly, embracing her. “Oh, and you,” Chemise glared at Goten, unimpressed. Bulla couldn’t help but smile and feel a swell of affection for the other girl. She didn’t even know the whole story, yet still took Bulla’s side, no questions asked.

“And what brings you here today? Getting something for your mom? Grandma?  _ Other woman _ ?” Chemise had started out cheerily and got increasingly biting towards the end, culminating in her spitting out the last part and narrowing her eyes at Goten, who was smiling nervously, probably wondering why her usually nice friend was being so hostile to him.

Seeing as though Goten was nervously fidgeting, Bulla took it upon herself to ask the questions. “Did you happen to be working here in early October?”

Chemise took time off from glaring at Go-teen to look at Bulla with a perplexed expression, “Uh, maybe, why?”

Instead of answering, Bulla hit Chemise with another question, “Did you see a guy who looked like him,” she gestured to the still nervous Goten, “but older? Different haircut?”

“You mean that guy with all the spikes? I told you, he comes in here all the time to buy things for his mistress,” she seemed pretty disinterested until her face lit up. “Oh shit, is that your dad? I guess it runs in the family,” she pointedly glared at Goten.

Bulla had to keep her giggles under wraps. Maybe after they found out who Goten’s mystery woman was, they could find out why Goku was buying her mom gifts. “No, not him, but someone who looks exactly like him.” Bulla pulled Goten to her and formed his hair into a slanted direction. “Does this ring a bell?”

Chemise shrugged, “Not to me, but maybe Morgan knows, he’s here all the time.”

“Is he here now?” Bulla asked.

“Yeah, let me get him.” Instead of yelling across the room like Bulla might have done, Chemise calmly walked over to a sharp dressed lanky man conversing with customers. He did a double take when he looked over to Bulla and Goten and quickly strode over after getting someone else to take care of his customers.

“This is so juicy,” he said looking at the two teens in amazement. “Are you related to Son Goten by any chance?” Morgan asked Goten before Bulla could ask anything herself.

“ _ That  _ is Son Goten,” Chemise interjected. Bulla for one was stunned.  _ Who knew it could be so easy to find the person who sold Goten the ring. _

“Two people named Son Goten who look exactly the same?” Morgan looked at Chemise skeptically. “Are you Goku’s son? Your parents are really uncreative with the names.”

Chemise narrowed her eyes on Goten and Bulla, “Someone better explain to me what’s going on.”

“I’ll tell you later, I promise,” Bulla said. Right now, she was positively bursting to learn of this new wealth of info she could get from Morgan, the jewelry salesman, and she turned her full attention to him, “So you’re saying you know a guy that looks exactly like him,” she gestured to Go-teen, “With the name Son Goten?”

“Well, I don’t really know him but he was certainly memorable,” Morgan said. He looked up with a thoughtful expression on his face trying to recall something, “I don’t think I ever saw a man so excited and that’s saying a lot in my profession.” And just like that, the trip wasn’t so fun for Bulla anymore. She was beginning to understand why Go-teen had kept things under wraps for so long. It wasn’t a good feeling finding out there could be someone else your object of affection adored.

“So,” Bulla began, “Did this Son Goten make a purchase?” She had decided to cut to the chase and find out what she came to find out.

“I’m not sure I can divulge such information about our customers,” Morgan said looking uneasily to Chemise.

“Do you know who she is?” Chemise gave Morgan an impatient look. “She’s Bulla Briefs! BRIEFS! And even if she weren’t, she’s my friend.”

“Okay, okay!” Morgan threw his hands up in surrender. “Son Goten, not this guy here,” he pointed to Goten, “he was older, taller, buffer, with intense black penetrating eyes…” he drifted off. Bulla looked around to see that Goten and Chemise were looking as weirded out as she felt.

“Get to the point, Morgan,” Chemise ordered dully.

Morgan looked to have snapped out of his trance and cleared his throat, “Anyway, he seemed more concerned with what metal matched his and his intended’s skin tone.”

“Did he say her name?” Bulla asked, now increasingly nervous about the answer.

“Probably,” Morgan shrugged. “As I said, we were more invested in getting the right color to complement their complexions. It was a bit of a struggle with him being a warm tone and her being cool but we settled on a happy medium. Rose gold suits any undertone, really.”

“So you saw what she looks like?” Goten spoke up for the first time.  _ Of course, he’d be interested in that. _

“Oh yes, he showed me a picture, a nice peaches and cream complexion. White gold, silver, and platinum are the best for coloring like hers, maybe with a nice sapphire or morganite if one wanted to go warmer.”

“Is that all you remember?” He nodded. “Not even hair or eye color?” Bulla asked.

Morgan looked thoughtful for a moment, “No, that’s not so important when determining metals and gemstones for rings, now for necklaces on the other hand—”

“Okay, I think you’ve been as helpful as you can be in this situation,” Chemise cut him off.

“Oh!” Morgan interjected, “I do remember her name had something to do with clothes!”

Bulla could only smack her forehead. “That’s not helpful at all,” Bulla muttered quietly to Goten. Despite not being too helpful, Morgan did tell them all he knew. When Bulla thought about it, she realized it was remarkable that he remembered Goten at all considering all the customers he must deal with.

“Thanks for your help,” Bulla said putting her hand out to Morgan, and then made a move to hug Chemise of the counter.

“You still owe me an explanation,” Chemise harshly whispered into Bulla’s ear.

“Don’t worry, I will,” she replied. All Goten got by way of farewells was a glare from Chemise and a small smile from Morgan.

“Well that was a bust,” Bulla said upon exiting the store. “Do you think it’s worth checking out this Valese girl?”

“Gohan did say it was someone I had a second chance with. It probably couldn’t hurt,” Goten said. Brainstorming ideas to track her down, the two of them realized they actually had no idea where to look for her considering all they had to go on was her name and that she moved from Satan City to North City over ten years ago. 

“Maybe we can ask your school’s secretary if they still have her citizenship number?” Bulla suggested once they made it back to Capsule Corp.

“No!” Goten objected vehemently. It caught Bulla a little off guard and she raised an eyebrow at him. “The school secretary is creepy. She’s pretty much the reason I’m never late anymore.”

Bulla was puzzled but let it slide, “Okay, maybe we don’t ask, then? My fingers are pretty nimble with a computer keyboard. If she went to Orange Star High, maybe I can hack the system and get her citizenship number that way?” Goten vigorously nodded to her new plan.  _ Anything to avoid the secretary, even if it means committing a crime,  _ Bulla tutted.

Accessing her mom’s supercomputer was going to be a bit of an issue. They were met with a fortified steel door when they went to check it out.

“Do you know the code?” Goten asked her. Ignoring him, Bulla started to pry the door open with her hands. Even throughout all these years her mom still hadn’t been able to create a Saiyan proof door.

“What are you doing?! Just ask your mom to let us in!” Goten began to panic.

“There’s no time!” Bulla insisted.

“What are you talking about?! Of course there is! She’s upstairs right now!” Goten’s babbling didn’t matter, she got the door open, though now it was probably broken beyond repair and needed a total replacement. Bulla casually stepped over the wreckage leaving a gawking Goten behind.

“When your mom discovers this I want to let it be known I had nothing to do with this,” he said.

“Why would I do that?” Bulla asked cheekily. “We’re doing this for you after all,” she stuck her tongue out at him.

“Real mature.” 

Bulla ignored him and sat down in front of the huge computer. First, she had to exit out of all of her dad’s GodTube videos that her mom had pulled up and then she opened up a search engine. She quickly typed in ‘Valese orange star high.’

“That’s it? Those are your hacking skills? Typing her name in the world’s most popular search engine?” Goten asked. 

“It worked, didn’t it?” Bulla said turning back to him and taking in his gobsmacked face. She went back to the computer screen and clicked on the first link. “Is this her?” 

Goten stared at the picture of the smiling brunette on the screen. Bulla wanted badly to be able to decipher his expression, was it longing? She couldn’t tell.  _ This is so frustrating, he’s normally so easy to read. _

“Maybe, but she doesn’t look like a cool tone to me,” Goten said. Bulla was ready to smack him.

“I meant, is this Valese, as in your Valese? Try to picture her thirteen years younger.”

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely her,” Goten said, “but I don’t think it’s  _ her _ if you know what I mean.”

“What makes you say that?” Bulla was curious. So far she was the best guess for ‘mystery woman’ even Gohan had said Goten had been crazy about her. She thought seeing Valese’s picture might have jolted something in Goten.

“There’s just nothing there. No thunderbolt, and believe me, I know what that feels like,” he looked to Bulla pointedly. She averted her gaze from him, feeling her cheeks warm once again whenever Goten alluded to his feelings for her.

“Anyway,” Bulla tried to keep her voice even, “Let’s see if her SnapGram profile reveals anything.”

They scrolled through her photos, Goten was in none of them but they were all pretty much exclusively solo pictures of Valese in exotic locales and trendy restaurants. In essence, it told them nothing.

“If you’re her boyfriend, she clearly doesn’t think much of you,” Bulla said. “However, it does look like she lives in East City.” Bulla enlarged a picture on the huge monitor. “Pan and I were kicked out of this place last year. I recognize the plating.”

“I thought you guys only got kicked out of all-you-can-eat restaurants?”

“Oh no, regular restaurants get frustrated too.” Bulla then cracked her knuckles. “Now, you’re going to see why we needed to use my mom’s supercomputer.” Bulla deftly began typing and managed to hack into the East City resident database, bypassing their firewalls and passwords, and quickly found what she was looking for, an address. “Okay, let’s go!” Bulla declared once she acquired the coveted piece of information. She grabbed Goten by the arm and roughly dragged him out of her mother’s lab.

“Shouldn’t we clean up the mess you made? Or at least try to?” 

“There’s no time!”

“Why are you always saying that? Of course there’s time!” Goten exclaimed. It was no use, however, Bulla used her superior strength to take Goten where she wanted and that was out of her house to East City where they could hopefully track down Valese. 

It wasn’t long before Goten complained. “You can let go of me, we’re already in the air.” Bulla reluctantly let go of Goten’s upper arm and trusted him to follow her. “So what’s your plan then? Ambush her and demand answers?”

“No, we have a stakeout outside her house, make sure she’s home and then knock on the door. We tell her she’s won a contest but she needs to answer some questions first—” 

“You and I both know that’s a stupid plan.”

“Fine,” Bulla snapped, “Do you have anything better?”

“I’ll just go up to her and ask her how’s it going.”

“Oh yeah, that’s  _ so  _ much better,” Bulla rolled her eyes though she knew Goten couldn’t see. “How are you going to explain why you haven’t aged in thirteen years?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. She’s not too bright, I doubt she’ll question it much.”

“I see.” Bulla narrowed her eyes thinking about what Goten saw in Valese. She was no doubt gorgeous but now she basically had confirmation that’s all she was and she wanted to punch Goten for being so shallow.

He must have sensed the displeasure in her tone because he started to elaborate on Valese. “I have no memories of actually getting to date her but she has other good qualities.”

“Oh, like what? Her boobs?” Bulla couldn’t help but feel threatened after seeing Valese’s pictures and it was coming to the surface the closer they got to encountering her. 

Goten seemed more amused than anything, “Jealous much?” he laughed. “Serves you right. Son Goten is a hot commodity.”

“Shut up,” Bulla said, her face burning up. “We’re here.” They landed on the outskirts of the large metropolis unconcerned about who might have seen them. The city was used to odd sights from time to time. The two opted to hail a cab instead of walking, their ride fairly silent aside from their driver making small talk, and soon they found themselves in a swanky gated neighborhood. Even the cabbie was impressed.

“Say, you kids aren’t looking to rob any place, are ya?” he asked, looking a bit nervous. 

Bulla, insulted by the remark, was about to snap back but Goten quickly pulled her out of the cab. “No, sir,” Goten assured the man in that polite respectful way of his that made everyone trust him, “Just visiting a friend.” Then Goten nudged Bulla, “Pay the man,” he whispered.

“Cheapskate,” Bulla muttered under her breath and pulled out a few more bills than necessary to give to their driver. 

His eyes widened upon receiving the fare plus a sizable tip, “Thanks! You kids are alright,” he said before speeding off. 

“There’s a gate which we can easily jump but there are cameras. I can disable them,” Bulla observed and cracked her knuckles getting ready to work, but Goten held her back. 

“Hold on, no need for that,” he said. “I can sense her, she’s inside with a few other people. Family, maybe?”

“If only we could get a look inside,” Bulla said hopping and trying to get a look over the privacy hedges of the sizable estate. Luck was on the two teens’ side, however, and Goten noted Valese was on the move.

“She’s coming closer to us, maybe she’s leaving?” Goten said. They hid off to the side as they saw the gates open and a sporty yellow car exit the long driveway. “That’s her alright,” Goten noted.

“Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s follow her!” Bulla said, tearing off after the car. The two followed from the sky in an effort to stay unnoticed. Valese didn’t appear to be the most cautious driver and frankly, Bulla was a little impressed how quickly the woman had gotten to her destination. The tall and shapely brunette exited her car, finally giving Goten and Bulla a good look at her.

No way around it, Valese was indeed a great beauty, even more so in person, Bulla couldn’t help but note. She looked to Goten, desperate to see his reaction to the beautiful woman, but he looked utterly unmoved, even a little annoyed.

“C’mon let’s get this over with,” he said walking toward Valese who was walking down the sidewalk to who knows where. Bulla quickly followed him to keep up with the swiftly moving Goten.

“Hey, I thought we were going to be subtle about this?”

“As you’ve been saying, ‘There’s no time!’” he mimicked her voice and winked at her, and phased right in front of Valese.

“Oh my goodness!” Valese said bumping into Goten. “I had no idea you were there!”  _ She certainly sounds ditzy.  _ “I’m so sorry.”

Bulla kept her distance and resisted getting involved. She put her faith in Goten to ask the right questions and get the answers.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Goten said in that charming way of his. He then took in Valese in faux astonishment.  _ If she falls for that, Goten was right about her being dumb.  _ “Woah, Valese is that you?” Goten said in theatrical surprise.

Valese looked confused for a moment before bursting with recognition, “Goten!” she enveloped him in a hug that Goten certainly didn’t look displeased about, Bulla noted with mild jealousy. “You don’t look different at all! What’s your secret?” she asked positively bursting in anticipation.

If this intro was anything to go by, it looked like Valese wasn’t mystery woman after all.

“Um, just good genes, I guess,” Goten said somewhat nervously, seemingly losing his resolve. “How have you been?” he asked.

It seemed like that was the right thing to ask as Valese delved into what she had been up to the past few years, making it clearer and clearer she wasn’t the woman from Goten’s past with whom he had a past encounter in the last year. She had married and was living the high life as the glamourous wife of a rich athlete. 

“So not her,” Bulla sighed once Goten had said his good-byes to Valese. They made their way to a discrete location where they could take off into the sky.

“Told you so.”

“We’re back at square one.”

“Not exactly, today we learned ring-woman has a cool skin tone.” Goten joked. “Where do you think we should go from now?” Goten asked.

“We could ask your mom. If you got serious with someone, no doubt you took her to get ChiChi’s approval.”

“You know you’re the only one who has her blessing,” Goten said, making Bulla blush, reminding her of how she basically admitted to ChiChi and her parents she enjoyed having sex with Goten. “But I don’t want to ask her, I mean do you?”

“No, of course not,” she agreed. Bulla didn’t know what she might end up doing if she met with ChiChi again. Maybe the unhinged woman would ambush them with a minister if she got wind of them being in the same place at the same time.

“Who else knows about most of your ex-girlfriends?” Bulla asked aloud but already knew the answer.

“Trunks,” they said together.

“Okay, we can see if Trunks remembers any significant exes, but can we wait until another day? I’ve been away from Bulla for too long and she gets upset,” Goten said.

“I do not!” Bulla objected, her cheeks getting pink. It  _ was _ true but how did he know that? She often tried to appear as cool as possible. “What are you even talking about? We spent the whole day together!”

Goten rolled his eyes at her; however, it was clear he was just messing with her. “How arrogant, you think you’re the only Bulla around?”

Bulla gave him her ‘Are you serious?’ look. “How many other Bullas do you know?”

“One.”

“Who?”

“Bulla the kitten,” he said and pulled out his phone to show her a picture and Bulla’s defenses fell sharply. “It’s only fair when you named your cats after my family.” She saw the cutest little blue kitten with a pink ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. Bulla nearly died on the spot.

“I see what you mean,” Bulla said, “I would get back to her as soon as possible.” She smiled at the boy in front of her, feeling her walls crumbling.

“Can I at least get a hug before I go?” Goten asked her before they departed.

Bulla shrugged seeing no harm in the action. “What could it hurt?” Bulla moved forward ready to be enveloped by Goten’s arms. She had to admit, it felt wonderful being so close to him after their time apart; however, his hands began to travel south and landed on her butt. She let him get away with it for a few seconds before she pushed him away and lightly punched the laughing Goten.

“Pervert,” she said without any bite to it. Before taking off, Bulla watched the cheeky Goten blow her a kiss and then fly away.

Bulla couldn’t help but track his energy as they moved in opposite directions. Try as she might, there was no putting her feelings for Goten on hold, she wanted him badly and not just in a biblical way. Some of her favorite moments with Goten were completely innocent but mostly she just liked it when he held her. She never liked being vulnerable around anyone but Goten had this way about him that made her feel accepted no matter what. Quickly, her mood plummeted. Nothing was guaranteed but she doubted she and Goten could come out of this situation with everyone happy.

She thought a snack might cheer her up and made a beeline for the kitchen once she got home. She found her family surrounded by her smug looking dad and a cake.  _ Crap! Did I forget his birthday…? Wait a minute! Dad doesn’t even have a birthday! _

“What’s going on?” Bulla questioned anyone who would answer. She looked at the cake and noted it read, ‘Congratulations on 235 Views’.

“Your dad beat his record on GodTube,” Bulma said proudly and sliced the cake. “We’re obviously celebrating.”

“That’s great, daddy,” Bulla offered her dad, doing her best to sound happy.

“We should give some credit to Bulla, her advice helped tremendously” her dad piped up. The eyes of her parents, grandparents, and brother were on her. She didn’t appreciate the scrutiny, she only hoped she didn’t look like the mope she was.  _ If they got a cake for dad for hitting two-hundred views, what would they do if he hit one million? Probably, declare a public holiday. _

“Really, daddy? I don’t remember saying anything,” Bulla said and helped herself to one of the slices of cake.

“You said putting a cat in my videos would help my numbers,” Vegeta explained.

Bulla had to bite her tongue and hold in her laughter, she hadn’t been serious when she had given him that advice. Then she remembered the only cats around were  _ her  _ cats. “You didn’t use Little Gohan, did you? He’s camera-shy,” Bulla scolded her dad. The little guy was going to be very upset and she would have to give him extra cuddles to make up for it.

“Tch. Don’t be ridiculous, I know that,” Vegeta scoffed. “I heard cat-yoga videos are popular so Lord Beerus and I did some poses.”

“Daddy, that’s not what I meant when I said you should put a cat in your videos.”  _ I wonder what dad had to bribe Beerus with to go along with it. _ Still, Bulla was relieved he hadn’t upset one of her kittens.

“Bulla,” she heard her mom address her, “You wouldn’t happen to know what happened to my lab door, would you?”

“No idea,” Bulla said innocently and began stuffing her face with cake.

  
  



	14. Truth Hurts

_ Thump. Thump. Thump. _

_ What was that girl doing up there? Bulma wondered. For the past ten minutes, she could hear Bulla’s footsteps rapidly moving to and fro constantly, that and the sound of things being thrown around.  _ Now how long should I wait before I intervene?

_ After hearing a frustrated scream, Bulma thought it was no time like the present to see what her teenage daughter was up to. _

_ Bulma wasn’t thrilled to see all sorts of clothes and shoes were thrown about her daughter’s room but she did pity her daughter who was sorting through her closet moaning and wearing a ball gown for some reason. _

_ “What’s going on, hon?” Bulma asked startling her daughter who just about jumped a foot in the air. _

_ “Mo-om! What are you doing here? I don’t have time for this!” Bulla stomped over and attempted to push her out of the room. _

_ “Now, stop right there, young lady!” Bulma didn’t appreciate being thrown out of a space in her own home. Bulla complied without argument but continued to glare at Bulma. “I came to see if you need help and,” she pointed to the clothes scattered on the floor, “Without a doubt you do.” _

_ Bulla’s fierce façade crumbled and she went to sit on her bed with her arms crossed over her chest. “I have nothing to wear, mom!” she complained. “And it’s too late to go shopping! I’m just going to have to cancel.” _

_ Bulma took a deep breath and reminded herself of how she was at that age in order to resist the urge to explode at her daughter. “You’ve been looking forward to this all week. Just take a deep breath and we’ll find something for you here. Look,” Bulma picked up a cute floral print dress from the floor, “this is cute!” she said putting on a cheery expression. _

_ “No!” Bulla snatched it from Bulma’s hands and threw it to the ground. “It’s too dressed up.”  _ Resist the urge,  _ Bulma told herself. _

_ “Then why on earth are you wearing a ball gown?” Bulma pointed out. _

_ “It’s the best I could come up with,” Bulla pouted. Bulma sighed.  _ Teenagers.

_ “You’re just going to the movies, right? How about,” Bulma went to pick up a sweater and jeans from the floor, “This?” _

_ “That looks so low effort like I don’t even care!” Bulla seemed to find it easy to find something wrong with all the stuff in her closet. _

_ “Why do I expect even if you did have time to go shopping, you still wouldn’t find anything?” _

_ “You don’t get it, mom!” Bulla practically cried out, “They don’t like me!” Suffice to say, Bulma was surprised by Bulla’s declaration.  _

_ “What are you talking about? You have plenty of friends, and you’re always being invited places.” _

_ “Boys, mom! Boys don’t like me,” Bulla said. “They said boys would like me if I wasn’t so smart or so strong but I think that’s stupid. Why can’t anyone just like me as I am?” _

_ Bulma felt terrible, it was so hard to see her daughter so frustrated and hurt, “Believe it or not, I do understand.” _

_ “How? You’re not a secret half-alien freak who needs to consume twenty thousand calories a day,” Bulla scoffed. _

_ “I guess you’re choosing not to believe me…” Bulma said and went to join her daughter on her bed and rubbed her back. “Do you know what I wanted to wish for when I first heard about the legend of the dragon balls?”  _

_ “A lifetime supply of strawberries?” _

_ Bulma was taken aback in surprise, “How did you know that?” _

_ “Whenever we get strawberries you always say you wish you had a lifetime supply,” Bulla said. _

_ “I guess so, but that’s not what I had decided on once I started gathering the balls. _

_ “I had just turned sixteen, and unlike you, I was accelerated through school. When I told people I was on break from school, it wasn’t as a student, I was a lecturer at a university.” _

_ Bulma looked to Bulla to see if she was even paying attention and saw her daughter’s eyes were intently on her, her curiosity on full display. _

_ “So,” Bulma continued, “I didn’t actually know any boys my age and if one came along, they already knew I was the daughter of the richest man in the world so they were only after one thing.” _

_ “I can relate to that,” Bulla said bitterly. _

_ “Sorry, baby,” Bulma sympathized, Bulla went to a regular school where no doubt it was probably harder to weed out the hangers-on. “But I didn’t even have friends.” _

_ “Yeah, I’ll give you that,” Bulla said giving her a small smile. _

_ “I never thought I would meet a boy who would like me and not care about my family’s money so I wanted to wish for him.” _

_ Bulla let out a small gasp, then proceeded to giggle uncontrollably, “You were so desperate you were going to wish for a boyfriend?” Bulma didn’t think it was that funny but still, she was very glad her daughter’s mood was lightening up. _

_ “Yes, I was that pathetic,” Bulma admitted, “But you got a nice boy to ask you out on your own so you’re already miles ahead of where I was and I don’t think your outfit is going to be a deal breaker...well, maybe that ball gown will, it kind of looks like a wedding dress, you might send him running if you show up like that.” _

_ After calming down from her giggles, Bulla said, “You’re right, mom. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She grabbed some handfuls of the fabric and squeezed, “I guess I’m just really nervous,” she admitted.  _

_ “Don’t worry, your nerves will wear off and then you’ll have tons of fun, I guarantee it. If not, just sneak off to the bathroom and call me if you need an out. I’ll send your dad to pick you up.”  _

_ “Thanks, mom,” and when Bulla said that, Bulma actually believed her. Out of the corner of her eye, Bulma spotted a lovely wine-colored skirt Bulla had no doubt tossed away and reached for it. _

_ “What about this?” she held it up to Bulla. “You can pair it with a plain black shirt, maybe take off the headband, the red clashes with the skirt—” _

_ “No!” Bulla’s hands shot up to protectively cover her headband, “That is non-negotiable.” _

_ “No wonder you limited your options so severely,” Bulma grumbled. “In that case,” Bulma made her way to her daughter’s spacious closet to see what she hadn’t thrown out, “What about this?” She held out a buttoned-down denim miniskirt and a red ribbed long sleeved shirt that matched her headband. “The skirt even has pockets!” _

_ Bulla didn’t look thrilled, “I guess it’s not too bad.” Bulma took that as acceptance.  _

_ “Say bye to me and dad before you leave, sweetie,” Bulma said before leaving and took Bulla’s nod as confirmation. _

_ Bulma went back to the sitting room to see her husband going to town on some leftovers. _

_ “Crisis averted?” He asked during a brief pause in his eating. _

_ “My, aren’t you chatty?” Bulma mocked her husband. He never expressed much interest in what the kids were up to as long as it included a training schedule.  _

_ Vegeta merely glared at her and let out a little growl and went back to his post-training meal. Bulma decided to conduct some business of her own and looked at some productivity reports on her latest fuel batch. It wasn’t long before Bulla came to the sitting room all dolled up and ready to go. _

_ “You look beautiful, honey!” Bulma clasped her hands and gushed, her reaction in part to Bulla choosing the outfit Bulma picked out. _

_ “Thanks, mom,” she said and went to Vegeta where she grabbed something off his plate and kissed his cheek. _

_ “That’s my turkey leg, brat!” _

_ “Too bad, daddy,” Bulla said, biting into her stolen bounty, quickly consuming the whole thing and dropping the bone on a plate. “My ride’s here. Bye, mom! Bye, daddy!” She waved to them with nary a glance back as she rushed to leave the room. _

_ It was...well...pitiful how Vegeta had backed down instantaneously.  _

_ “She takes too much after you,” Vegeta complained once Bulla was out the door. _

_ “You’re the one who said she didn’t have to listen to you anymore if she beat you up.” _

_ “Her victory was a fluke!” _

_ “Yes, I’m sure it was,” Bulma said condescendingly. _

_ “I thought it would get her off her ass and make her serious about her training! I never thought she would actually beat me.” The man then sighed, “She looks so grown up now.” _

_ Though she was tempted to tease him, Bulma opted to snuggle up close to the melancholic Saiyan warrior. “She couldn’t stay your little girl forever.” As there was no one around, he didn’t push her away and allowed her to embrace him.  _

_ “I know but why does she have to copulate with so many boys?” _

_ “WHAT?!” Bulma jumped away from Vegeta in shock. Bulma began to panic, did Vegeta know something? Could he smell it or something? And why was he so damn calm about it? Their daughter was only fifteen and Vegeta was implying multiple partners!  _

_ Vegeta merely raised his eyebrow at her outburst. “Why is this bothering you now? You said ‘dating’ was normal.” _

_ “Oh my goodness,” Bulma’s racing heart began to slow down when she realized Vegeta had misunderstood the ins and outs of dating, and she smacked Vegeta for making her worry. “No, that’s not what Earthlings call ‘dating’!” Still, Bulma resolved to fill Bulla’s bathroom with contraceptives while she still had the chance.  _ Better safe than sorry.  _ She wasn’t ready to be a grandmother!  _

_ “It isn’t? But what about you and me? As I recall the courtship consisted solely of intercourse,” Vegeta said. “That’s how Saiyans do it anyway.” _

_ “Vegeta, you and I are...unconventional. Earthlings typically like to get to know one another first. Dating is a way to see if their personalities are compatible.” _

_ “Tch. I don’t know why she can’t just marry Goten,” Vegeta said huffing and crossing his arms. “They already know each other enough.” _

_ “Vegeta!” Bulma began to scold him. “Don’t you dare say anything like that to her. You know how it upsets her.” _

_ “But she said she was going to marry him. It would be fickle of her to change her mind.” _

_ Bulma pinched the bridge of her nose, “Vegeta, just no.” _

_ “What’s changed?” Vegeta asked defensively. _

_ “She doesn’t like him?” Bulma said. She hated arguing with crazy people. _

_ “Of course she does! She says hello to him and everything. I haven’t seen her sneer at him once!” _

_ “Vegeta, she’s just being polite and I told you not to get excited about her crush, that she would grow out of it,  _ ** _which she has_ ** _ ,” Bulma emphasized. “Besides, he’s thirteen years older than her, just because you waited until your thirties to marry someone doesn’t mean everyone wants to wait that long,” she tried to reason with him. “Or that Bulla wants to get married so soon,” she added. _

_ “Bulla is worth waiting for,” Vegeta insisted. _

_ “It’s not like you to care about our kids’ love lives,” Bulma narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “You’ve been talking to ChiChi again, haven’t you?” She accused and poked his chest.  _

_ “Perhaps,” Vegeta admitted, with his arms crossed moodily.  _

_ “I don’t get it. Is this some sort of eugenics thing? Keep the Saiyan race going?” Bulma had to ask. She didn’t bother mentioning how Vegeta didn’t like Goku since everyone knew by now that was a lie. _

_ “No,” he said returning to his last scraps of food. Clearly to him, the conversation was over but nothing was over in their marriage until Bulma said it was over. _

_ “Then what is it?” Bulma asked. She thought it would for sure be because they were both half-Saiyans. _

_ Vegeta glared at her. “All I wanted to do was finish my meal and go back to training,” he muttered to himself. Bulma had the feeling he had meant for her to hear but he still didn’t answer her question. _

_ “C’mon, tell me!” Bulma put on her best whiney voice hoping he would find it annoying enough to answer but not annoying enough to leave the room. _

_ Dropping his last cut of meat on his plate, Vegeta sighed in resignation, “The last person I would want to see her end up with is someone like me, and he’s the opposite. He can even still ride that damn cloud.” _

* * *

Her mom was able to see through all the bullshit with her lab door. Bulla thought she would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for that damn camera, but there it was, video evidence of Bulla pulling the door apart with her bare hands and a physically panicking Goten telling her to stop.

Luckily, her mom hadn’t grounded her and she and Goten didn’t need to put their mystery woman search on hold. As punishment, all Bulla needed to do was reconnect the circuits and wires and make the thing functional again. She even had her cats to assist her! Wait, were they actually being helpful? No, if anything they were slowing down the process, swatting at things, knocking stuff over, chewing on wires, and being belligerently unhelpful, but what could Bulla do? They decided the motherboard was theirs and wouldn’t move off of it.

That’s why she summoned Go-teen and Trunks down to her mom’s lab so she could finish her task while she and Goten interrogated Trunks. They were only being marginally more helpful than the cats. They stood apart from each other awkwardly. It seemed as though the rift between Goten and Pan had been repaired but another one opened up between Goten and Trunks.

“Could you have left me out of this?” Trunks said, fiddling with his phone. Bulla doubted he was doing anything important.

“No, you probably knew Goten best, so maybe you can offer some suggestions?” Bulla said while only being half focused on her task.  _ Is that wire supposed to go there?  _ She shrugged and connected it anyway.

Trunks sighed and put his phone away, “Goten, I’m sorry you can’t remember your long lost fiancée.”  _ Hmmph, she’s not his fiancée yet! Or maybe even never!  _ “But why didn’t you just go to your apartment and go through your old phone again, perhaps just be more thorough?”

“Can’t,” Goten said with his hands in his pockets, teetering on the balls of his feet. “That place is a crime scene, besides, my mom took the spare key you gave me.”

“You know, if I knew what you really wanted that key for I never would have—”

“Okay! That’s enough!” Bulla interrupted. “Can we all just forget about what we saw that day?”

“I tried slamming my head against the wall to forget. It didn’t work,” Trunks said hanging his head.

“Yes, well,” Bulla cleared her throat, “No need to speak of awkward moments. But what do you know? Which exes were important to Goten?”

“Most likely candidates? Off the top of my head? Valese—”

“Already checked her out, she seems happily married and hadn’t seen Goten in years.”

“What a shame—about the marriage thing, I’d’ve looked her up,” Trunks said with a sleazy grin on his face. 

“Down boy,” Bulla said still working on her task, turning a screw. “Help me out here, Goten. Ask him some things.”

“Um,” Goten hesitated. “Anyone recent?”

Bulla stared down at the motherboard that the cats finally moved off of and went to sit on other things Bulla might need later. What she might hear might upset her and she pretended to be completely focused on her task.

Trying to appear less interested than she was, Bulla shifted her eyes slightly to her brother who was looking contemplative.

“The last girl I met, I can’t even remember her name. We met only once and it fizzled out after that,” Trunks said then paused a moment. “You know, just because he might not have been serious about some girls initially doesn’t mean it can’t be one of them,” Trunks pointed out.

“How many girls are we talking here?” Goten asked. Bulla wanted to know too, the jealousy was rising up within her.

Goten was looking far too pleased with himself as Trunks rattled off names while Bulla started shoving cards into their slots more roughly than intended.

After the ninth name—and who was counting, anyway—Bulla stopped Trunks, “You really can’t narrow it down?”

“It’s not like Goten left his diary around,” Trunks said sounding testy. “Guys don’t really talk about that kind of stuff.”

There wasn’t much more for Bulla to say or ask. Goten looked nervous being around Trunks and Trunks looked annoyed being there. After all, to get Trunks to cooperate, she had put a passcode on all the televisions in the house to block Trunks’ soap opera channels.

“Fine, Trunks,” Bulla said as she made the finishing touches to the door’s mechanical system and closed up the panel. “You can have the code, it’s all the same, 1-2-3-4.”

Goten looked to a blushing Trunks, “You didn’t guess that?”

“I bet you kept trying 6-9-6-9, didn’t you?” Bulla took this as confirmation as Trunks got redder.

Bulla tightened the last screw on the panel and finally, the door was repaired. “Okay, time to test it out,” Bulla said, relieved to get the task over with. She quickly flipped on the power and punched in the temporary access code she had set up, 6-9-6-9, expecting the door to gently slide open and let them in. Instead, the door rapidly opened and closed like it was possessed. Bulla felt her annoyance rise exponentially, not only was the door she half-assed repaired not working but Trunks turned out to be useless, and now she had to waste more of her time on the freaking door.

“I don’t think you fixed it, Bulla,” Goten shouted over the sounds of the homicidal door.

“Thanks, I didn’t realize that,” Bulla snapped at Goten, not only for stating the obvious but also because he had far more girlfriends than she had boyfriends.

“Wait, hold on a sec,” Trunks said and reached to pick up Little Goku. Instantly, the door stopped trying to murder anyone who walked through it. “He was sitting on the remote. Try again.”

Bulla winced and prepared for the worst but much to her surprise, the door smoothly slid open and stayed that way for a few seconds before closing gently. A human would definitely have no trouble going through. She audibly sighed in relief. That was one thing down but what about the other thing?

“Now that that’s done, I’ll be on my way kiddos,” Trunks made to leave, probably to catch up on his soap operas, but he lingered in the hallway.

“We actually need help narrowing the girl down, Trunks has been spouting off too many names,” Bulla told Goten and ignored her eavesdropping brother who stopped moving. “We need to call in the deduction expert,” Bulla paused for a second, “Or we can go to her! I have a deal with her landlord, Marron said I could be let in any time!”  _ Probably so I won’t break her door again.  _ “C’mon, Goten!” she pulled on his arm leading him away excitedly.

Goten and Bulla almost made it out of the house before Trunks caught up with them, “Wait for me!” he called after them.

Together, the three of them flew to Marron’s apartment on the outskirts of the city. Much to Bulla’s disappointment, Marron was there and she had to knock instead of using her newly bestowed privileges to root through Marron’s things while she was gone. 

Marron answered the door with a sigh and ushered in the two teenagers and the teenage-minded adult into her abode. The three half-Saiyans settled together on Marron’s comfy and well loved couch, leaving their host standing. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” she addressed them when she closed the door behind her, her deadpan expression not encouraging to Bulla’s objectives.

“Our first lead for Goten’s mystery woman was a dead end,” Bulla started. “Then we had to ask Trunks and he didn’t know—”

“Yeah, but only because Goten is a serial dater—” Trunks interrupted.

“Or maybe you just didn’t pay attention to other me—” Goten cut in. Soon everyone started talking over each other arguing back and forth making everything unintelligible and discordant. Bulla couldn’t even decipher what she was saying. 

“Enough!” Marron said. “Can you three think of any reason why Goten wouldn’t tell his best friend in the whole world about the girl he was seeing?” she asked as if it was obvious.

The three of them ceased shouting and stopped to think. It was clear Goten and Trunks had no idea, they shared twin shrugs and looked to Marron for the answer, clueless looks on their faces.

But not Bulla, unlike them, she was actually going to think about this. The best way to look at it was to put herself in the scenario. Who were her best friends? Who was the Trunks to her Goten? In some ways it was Pan but in other ways it was Marron. She hadn’t exactly been honest with them lately, certainly not once she and Goten started hooking up. Pan had to punch it out of her and she would have been happy to have never have told Marron as stupid as that was. Why hadn’t she told either of them? Why hadn’t she told Trunks?

“Because Goten would have feared disapproval!” Bulla realized aloud. “Whoever she is, Goten must have thought it would complicate things between him and Trunks!”  _ Yes!  _ Bulla felt triumphant seeing Marron’s look of approval.

“Not so fast,” Trunks interjected, “Why would Goten fear my reaction? We’re best buds, I wouldn’t have ruined his shot at happiness.” Bulla tried to not be hurt that this other woman could be Goten’s shot at happiness. “Maybe he just didn’t want to jinx it?” 

The other three looked to Goten who had been silent the entire time. He was biting his lip, looking as though he was hesitating with something.

“I think she’s right, Trunks. You do always call the shots,” Goten said. Trunks opened his mouth to argue but Marron started speaking before he could.

“Now, Trunks, this is all on you, who could Goten date that you would disapprove of?”

“You?” Trunks blurted out immediately.

“No, not me,” Marron denied though Bulla noticed her cheeks turn a little pink. The whole thing was juicy, from Trunks’ instinctive outburst to Marron’s reaction, but she would need to file away that info for later, they were here for Goten.

Trunks let out a dramatic gasp, coming to an epiphany, “BULLA?!”

“Obviously not!”

“Woah!”

“What the hell!” Bulla, Goten, and Marron reacted at the same time.

Bulla smacked her forehead at her brother’s stupidity. 

“If I had an inkling Goten was looking for a child bride, I would have arrested him despite our years of friendship,” Marron said. “No offense,” Marron added. 

“None taken,” Goten let out a breath and glared at Trunks.

“Well, I don’t know who else!” Trunks threw his hands up defensively. Much to Bulla’s pleasure, he looked ashamed of his latest suggestion.

The mood had shifted awkwardly and Bulla suspected the others might be thinking about what she was. What  _ if  _ Trunks was right and Goten had his predatory gaze on her? She looked down at her hands, she  _ was  _ a cool tone,  _ BUT _ she wasn’t named after clothes, Bulla realized and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Wait a minute,” Trunks said breaking through everyone’s quiet contemplation. “It couldn’t be…” His expression changed from skeptical, to disgust, to bafflement, “Nooo…” he elongated the word.

“What? Who?” Bulla eagerly questioned her brother. Even if this next girl wasn’t the one at least there was a new lead they could check out. 

“Cami?!” he said, clearly appalled, “You weren’t seriously thinking of proposing to Cami, were you?” Trunks stood up and pointed a finger accusing Goten.

_ Cami.  _ Bulla wracked her brain. It was niggling at her, that name seemed familiar, but looking at Goten, it looked like he had no idea who Trunks was talking about.  _ Maybe I’m just imagining things? _

“Who is Cami?” Marron was the only one with the mental wherewithal at the moment to ask questions.

Trunks glared at Goten and looked primed to punch him, “Only Goten’s most exhausting girlfriend ever.” He flopped back down on the couch next to Bulla and turned to her, “You better hope it’s Cami, I can think of no one more insufferable. Between you and me, I think Goten was getting desperate,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“What’s so bad about her?” Goten asked looking apprehensive.

“I’m glad you asked, Go-teen,” Trunks said sounding already more animated. “First of all, you were whipped. Any time I asked you to hang out, you always had plans with Cami or you dragged her along to our outings. You were always at her beck and call, and when you weren’t together you were always talking to her through phone or text and as soon as she said she was free you would ditch me to hang out with her.” 

“That doesn’t sound like her fault, it sounds like Goten couldn’t manage the time between his two girlfriends,” Marron said seriously to an irritated looking Trunks. Bulla had to stifle a giggle. Marron was right, it did sound like Trunks was jealous of all the time Goten spent with Cami.

“Regardless,” he began defensively, “She was always pushing you, Goten, and trying to get you to do stuff! She’s the reason you work at a bank!” Trunks pulled out his trump card. Goten gasped.

Truthfully, Bulla thought Trunks was being a little ridiculous even though she too wanted there to be an indication Cami was awful if she was indeed mystery woman.

“Trunks, while it’s understandable you would be upset Goten didn’t prioritize you when he was in a relationship with Cami, she doesn’t sound like a bad person for wanting him to be more ambitious,” Marron said. Bulla nodded along, inclined to agree with the most mature member of their quartet.

Trunks responded by folding his arms and pouting. 

Having been silent for a while, Bulla deigned to speak, “Where can we find her?”

Still frowning, Trunks said, “Hell, if I know. I know she wanted to be a teacher or a child psychologist—” Trunks abruptly stopped speaking and looked wide-eyed at Bulla, “Oh no!”

“Uh, what?” Bulla raised her eyebrow at him. “Why are you being weird?”

“No reason, gotta go!” he jumped up from Marron’s couch and ran for her door but was blocked by the tenant herself.

“You know something,” Marron narrowed her eyes at the attempted escapee. 

Trunks scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. “It’s not exactly relevant,” he said, his gaze diverting back to Bulla for a millisecond.

“Whatever it is, it’s got something to do with me,” Bulla realized. She wasn’t going to let Trunks out of this, “So just tell us—”

“Ugh! Fine!” Trunks stumbled back to the couch, seemingly not needing much persuasion. He looked around to all of them in Marron’s living room, “I trust everyone here knows about an incident pertaining to events in the summer of Age 786?”  _ He couldn’t be...NO! _

Goten raised his hand. “Yes, Goten?” Trunks asked like a teacher.

“Was that when little Bulla went crazy?”  _ How dare he! _

“Thanks, Go-teen,” Bulla snapped at him. His response was just to shrug which she didn’t appreciate. “What does that have to do with anything? Let’s leave it in the past, okay?”

“Bulla,” Trunks turned serious. “What do remember about Goten’s date that day?”

Bulla rolled her eyes, “I don’t know, she had blonde hair and glasses!” She didn’t know where Trunks was going with this. In the years since then, she had tried not to think about the incident, first out of pain, then out of shame. Reluctantly, she tried to remember more details about the girl and realized, “Oh my god.” Now it was her turn to look to Trunks with wide eyes. “Cami was that girl’s name.”

“Yup,” Trunks said tiredly, “They are one in the same.”

“One  _ and  _ the same,” Marron corrected but no one really paid attention to her.

Bulla sunk further into the couch and buried her face in her hands, “Just my luck. The first woman to steal Goten away from me.”  _ And now, it might be permanent. _

Bulla felt Goten’s arm reach around her and pull her close, she lost all resistance and sunk into his side. “Don’t worry, Bulla. No one can steal another person, I would have to be willing to leave and I would never.” Once again, Bulla found herself being charmed by Goten’s sweet faith in their relationship. It gave her renewed hope that they would come out of this okay.

“Do you really have to be so mushy, Goten?” Trunks asked rolling his eyes and ruining the moment.

“Yes!” he nodded his head enthusiastically, “I love Bulla Briefs, and when I grow up, I'm going to marry her!”  _ WHAT?!  _ Bulla pulled away from Goten, startled by the insanity of his statement.

“Do you mean ‘grow up’ by wishing yourself back to your original age? Because I’m going to have to arrest you if that’s the case,” Marron jokingly showed her badge. The older girl had been her typical serious self during their whole session and this was the first instance of taking things lightly which Bulla was glad to see considering Marron hadn’t approved of their relationship.

“Goten, we’re not getting married,” Bulla insisted.

“Yeah huh, my mom said so,” Goten said with confidence.

“Just because she offered my parents some produce doesn’t mean it’s a done deal,” Bulla pointed out.

“Mom said your dad was all for it,” Goten said. At that point, Bulla looked at him and saw his cheeky expression. She realized he was putting her on but still, he had succeeded in amusing her.

“Ha ha,” Bulla lightly shoved Goten. “Sometimes I feel you were wished back to six and not sixteen,” she said smiling fondly at him. 

“Bleh, enough already,” Trunks said. “Aren’t you little wannabe gumshoes going to try and find Cami? Provided Bulla can put up with the humiliation?”

“You really know how to bring me down, don’t you, Trunks?” Bulla observed. 

“Someone’s got to keep you humble. Goten and Marron won’t, they like you too much,” Trunks said, smirking at her.

“It’s true,” Goten assured her, and Marron gave a little nod. It all made Bulla feel warm inside but also gave her renewed vigor.

“Okay, so any ideas on how to find her to see if she’s the one?” Bulla asked her crew.

“Ooh, you can do the supercomputer thing again!” Goten suggested.

“Report her to the police and say she stole something!” Trunks put forward. “They’ll bring her in for a line up and then you say, that’s the lady who did it! Boom, get all the relevant info.”

“Trunks, that is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard,” Marron said. “And I catch stupid criminals for a living.” 

“It could have worked if we put our minds to it,” Trunks mumbled, his disappointment evident.

Marron shook her head and offered another solution, “If Cami is  _ the  _ one, her number and picture are definitely in his phone. Just call her up and set up a meeting.”

“But I don’t have the keys to my apartment anymore, and that’s where I last had my phone,” Goten pointed out. “And Trunks doesn’t have a spare.”

“We can always break the door down,” Bulla said excitedly.

“Bulla, they have cameras and it would get back to your mom and you’ll be grounded again,” Goten warned her. 

“There’s that and you know, property damage,” Marron solicited, “But it’s unlikely you left your balcony door locked, and you guys can fly, so no need to try and get the key or break down the door,” Marron stated the obvious. “Now all of you, get out of my home.”

“You heard her,” Trunks said pointing to the door.

“That means you too, Trunks.” Try as she might, Marron couldn’t fight off the smile that was threatening to emerge, Bulla noticed.

“It was worth a try,” Trunks said unabashed and followed the two teens out of Marron’s apartment.

“No time like the present then,” Bulla turned to Goten. “Should we go now?” Goten nodded noncommittally but Bulla figured he was down with the idea. “You in, Trunks?” Bulla asked her busybody brother.

“And meet up with Cami? No way,” he said dismissively. “You two are on your own with that one. See ya!” He waved before disappearing to who knows where.

“Do you really think she’s that bad?” Goten asked her apprehensively once they left Marron’s building.

“From what I remember, she was nice,” Bulla shrugged. “Even after I told her I would break her neck.”

Goten went from contemplative to startled. ”You really said that?”

“Something to that affect,” Bulla replied. She wasn’t really interested in rehashing old memories and truth be told, she couldn’t remember exactly what she said though it hadn’t been nice.

“I think you mean effect,” Goten corrected her.

“Whatever, Goten, no one likes the grammar patrol,” she chided, though she was a little embarrassed she got her common idioms wrong just like her brother. “It’s a few months at most until Earth’s dragon balls get recharged and whether or not you were in a relationship with this woman determines the fate of you and me, so let’s get a move on,” she commanded.

Flying got them where they needed to be easily, the only problem was figuring out which apartment belonged to Goten from the outside. After a few close calls, the two teens found the right apartment. Marron had been right, it seemed no one on the higher levels bothered locking their balcony doors including Goten.

Bulla noted the familiar place still looked like a crime scene, the broken shards of Goten’s nightstand were still near the entrance of Goten’s bedroom and a peek inside the space showed the rumpled sheets that were hastily thrown around and never put back in their proper place. That day rated as one of the worst in Bulla’s life, not that she had that many bad days.

Bulla looked to Goten who was moving stealthily and crouched down like a thief. She raised an eyebrow at him, “What are you doing?”

“Shhh...we’re not supposed to be here,” Goten said quietly.

“And just who is going to catch us?” Bulla said in her normal volume, “Your mom just said no funny business, she didn’t say anything about returning to the scene of the crime.” 

“Keep it down,” Goten hissed. “Would you put it past my mom to bribe the neighbors to report any action around here to her?” 

“Well, no,” Bulla did have to admit that while she adored the woman, ChiChi was totally unhinged. “COME GET US, MS. CHICHI!” Bulla yelled fairly loud. 

“What’d you do that for?!” Goten exclaimed and realizing what he had done, immediately clasped his hands over his mouth. All Bulla could now see was his terrified shifting eyes.

“Relax, Goten,” she playfully swatted him and laughed. “She’s not a ghost that appears when you say her name. C’mon,” she grabbed his hand, relishing the feeling like she always had, “Let’s grab your phone and go—”

The two stopped in their tracks when they heard two knocks, one after the other, forceful, not timid.

“Oh my god, it’s her, it’s her,” Goten dropped Bulla’s hand and started wringing his own. Bulla herself tried not to panic but it was futile and she was tempted to fly out the balcony and leave Goten to deal with it on his own. That might actually be the best strategy, Bulla thought. ChiChi couldn’t accuse them of anything if only one of them was around and ChiChi couldn’t sense anything…

“I know you’re in there!” a loud muffled voice came from behind the door accompanied by a harder pounding. It was female but unfamiliar.

“Who is that?” Bulla whispered to Goten. He shook his head and shrugged looking as alarmed as she was, the feeling of panic had evolved into dread. She and Goten stared at each other for a moment, each looking as lost as the other.

Another harsh bang made them both jump. “What should we do?” Bulla asked quietly.

Goten took a deep breath before speaking, “I think we should just answer the door. At least we know it’s not my mom.”

“Maybe it is and she’s letting someone else do the talking?” Bulla wondered aloud. Still, the two went to Goten’s door, cautious with their approach.

“You open it,” Goten told her, licking his lips in apprehension. Bulla was not one to be ordered around but there was no point in arguing and really she shouldn’t feel so terrified to open a door, especially since she could sense the energy on the other side, physically they would be fine. 

Bulla reached for the knob but hesitated and looked through the peephole instead.

“What do you see?” Goten asked. The fierce knocking was replaced by short incessant knocks but Bulla persisted and tried to focus on the source of the knocking. It wasn’t a perfect view by any means but she could make out a figure.

“It’s a woman,” she told Goten and still tried to focus on the lady on the other side of the door, “Older than us. She’s blonde,” Bulla froze in shock once she got a clearer view. “She’s got glasses!” she exclaimed loud enough that the woman on the other side probably heard her because she stopped knocking.  _ Could it really be her? _

Bulla pulled opened the door almost forcefully enough to tear it off its hinges and finally she was greeted by the full view of the mystery woman. Her expression changed from indignant and ready to speak to confused and she shut her mouth with a snap. She rapidly looked from Bulla to Goten in deep concentration but still said nothing.

“Can we help you?” Goten was the first one to speak. 

“This is Son Goten’s apartment,” the mystery woman finally found her voice but still looked shocked.

Bulla couldn’t hold it in anymore, she had to ask, was this lady the one they were looking for? She looked about right. “Are you Cami?” Bulla asked slowly. The shock faded from the older woman’s face and was replaced by slight suspicion.

“Yes,” she said furrowing her eyebrows together, “How do you know my name and why are you in Goten’s apartment?”

It looked weirder and weirder, Bulla realized. This lady was expecting to see her boyfriend or whatever and instead, there were two suspiciously acting teens in his place. Like earlier, Bulla had been tempted to run and let Goten deal with it. But isn’t this what she had wanted to do, what she needed to do? Get to the bottom of things? Steeling herself and pretending like her heart wasn’t ready to leap from her chest, Bulla tried to exude calm.

“Um, why don’t you come in and sit down, Cami? I think there are some things you need to know,” Bulla said, leading Cami inside and seating her in one of Goten’s armchairs. Once seated, Cami studied Goten’s face and her mouth dropped open.

The woman adjusted her glasses on her face, “Goten? Is that you?” she questioned softly. Both Bulla and Goten froze and visibly tensed. He looked to Bulla for guidance but all she had running through her head was “ _ The truth will set you free. _ ” 

Bulla led Goten to the couch opposite the armchair Cami was seated and they sat together. Bulla put a reassuring hand on Goten’s knee and deigned to speak first, “First of all, how much do you know of...uh...Goten’s unique family history? I think we need to know where to start.”

Cami’s eyes had never left Goten’s face but she turned to Bulla for a second before going back to staring at Goten, “That he’s a Saiyan? I found that out after our first unofficial date…” she drifted off and did a double take at Bulla. “I remember you! You were there! You were the little girl, weren’t you? You’re Bulla!” Cami’s distressed expression turned into a small smile, “How have you been? I saved your bear for you, did Goten ever return it?”

“Um, I’m fine, and uh, no, he never did,” this had taken an unexpected turn. “Um, how are you?” Bulla asked, unsure of what else to say.

Suddenly, Cami’s expression became warmer, “I think I’m feeling better realizing mine and Goten’s estrangement came from extraordinary circumstances and not anything I did.” She sighed in relief. Addressing both of them, she began to share her story, “Goten and I had had a fight and we both needed time to cool off. When I hadn’t heard from him for a week, I called but no one answered. I figured he was still upset so I gave him his space but at two weeks I had had enough and came here but he was nowhere around. I asked your neighbor Chiffon—”

“I know her!” Goten cut in, Bulla gave him a little smack but Cami didn’t seem fazed by Goten’s interruption and continued.

“Yes, gorgeous Chiffon,” Cami nodded and smiled, “I asked her to let me know if she had seen you just for my own peace of mind about your safety. I tried calling you again and leaving voicemails with no response until one day I get a text message with some platitude and a call from Chiffon saying she saw your little brother and his girlfriend and that she heard you were someplace remote in the East region. But I knew you don’t have a younger brother. Was that you, Goten?” He nodded.

“Goten!” Bulla had to interrupt. “Did you not check your voicemail or missed call log that first time we came here?”  _ If Goten had been more thorough _ ...Could Bulla really regret what that inaction led to though?

“People call each other from these things?” Goten grabbed his phone and squinted at it.

Cami let out a chuckle, “Don’t mind me,” she said before going into a full blown laugh, “This whole thing is too ridiculous.”

She finally stopped laughing and let out a huge breath in relief, “I was heartbroken that it seemed like Goten and I were over but Chiffon and I became friends. I never seemed to be here when you were until today. 

“I was so alarmed when Chiffon said she saw a teenage girl coming and going from your apartment in the past few months and I thought the worst,” she paused to catch some breaths and turned more serious than she had been. “Goten, now it’s your turn to tell me what happened to you.”

Goten cleared his throat before starting, “Did you ever hear of the dragon balls?” Cami nodded. “I don’t remember but apparently, I wished to be sixteen again by just saying something stupid—I might not have even meant it—and lost all my memories. I’m really sorry but I don’t remember you. I asked Trunks if I had a girlfriend and he said no but I guess other me didn’t tell him because you two don’t get along.”

Cami raised her eyebrows in surprise, “I would say he doesn’t get along with me—”

“I believe it,” Bulla said throwing her brother under the bus.

“Or at least he didn’t but that was ten years ago. Is he still mad I pushed you to get a job?”

“Maybe?” Goten shrugged. “But that’s really all there is to say, I’ve just been a regular kid all this time.”

“You said the dragon balls recharge every year, right? Are you going to go back to being your old self with all your memories?” Cami asked leaning forward in her seat anticipating the answer.

“I don’t know,” Goten said. Bulla knew this was hard for him, he liked being a people pleaser and well-liked, he didn’t seem so convicted in his decision now that he was faced with someone from his past. “I haven’t really found a reason to,” he replied honestly.

“Oh,” Cami paused and drew a breath, “That’s um, understandable,” she choked out.  _ Oh no!  _ Bulla could see she Go-teen’s answer had devastated her and the nice woman was trying not to cry and attempting to hold in her shock at the brutality of Goten’s answer. 

Inside, Bulla was swimming in turmoil, the inner brat inside of her just wanted to grab Goten and scream, “MINE!” but perhaps it was due to Goten’s purehearted influence that she tried to be more empathetic. Bulla felt horrible seeing the older woman trying not to break down. Bulla had wanted her to be horrible, mean, and nasty just like the picture Trunks had painted of her but this whole time she had been kind and understanding, never responding in anger. Bulla didn’t think she would be so even-tempered if she was in Cami’s position.

Cami stood up from the chair, ready to leave, “I guess that’s it then. At least I have closure.” She swiftly walked to Goten’s door, primed to leave without any goodbyes.

Bulla followed Cami to the door knowing Goten couldn’t do it but her motives weren’t entirely pure. Closing the apartment door, she stopped Cami in the hallway to ask her something privately where Goten couldn’t hear them.

“Can I ask you something?” Cami nodded but said nothing, “How serious were you and Goten, you know before the whole thing?” Bulla asked feeling awkward. She didn’t know this woman and Cami didn’t even know Bulla was her rival once again. Bulla had to admit she felt a little disingenuous asking these questions, she hadn’t even stopped to ask if Cami was okay.

“We first broke up because we were young and getting too serious but I always wondered about him when another relationship would go south,” she said wistfully. “When I ran into him again, I thought the stars were aligning and giving us another chance,” Cami answered, seeming truthful and still trying to hold in her tears. Isn’t that what Gohan had relayed to them?

“I’m sorry,” Bulla said, intently staring at her sneakers to avoid looking at the woman next to her. “Are you going to be okay?” Bulla looked up to see the tears now freely falling on the woman’s pretty face.

“I think so,” she sniffed. “I went through this earlier this year and overcame it, I think I can do it again. You know, I think it was easier thinking he was an irredeemable jerk.” 

“Look, I’ll talk to him,” Bulla immediately regretted saying.  _ What are you doing?! She’s accepted it! You have him now free and clear!  _ “He might come around to the idea, it’s just that he barely found out he had a fiancée—” 

Bulla realized her mistake when Cami’s sad expression changed to surprise. “Fiancée? We weren’t engaged,” Cami said. “Was he planning to propose?” Bulla wanted to disappear, she didn’t know what the right thing to say was, she was completely lost. If she was level-headed like Marron she would know the right thing to say but she was just a dumb teenage kid. Would the fact he bought her a ring comfort her or further devastate her?

“I don’t know,” Bulla knew she had dropped her cool façade and knew she looked pained. “We just know he bought a ring.” Not knowing what Cami’s reaction might be, Bulla had still felt compelled to be honest.

“I see,” was all Cami said and Bulla could not gauge her reaction. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I would like to be somewhere else right now.” Bulla nodded and Cami departed to the elevators. She was only a few steps away when she turned back to Bulla, “Take care of him, okay?” she said, “He’s special.” 

“I know,” Bulla replied feeling Cami understood her. She was left to lean against Goten’s door while Cami disappeared from view. Bulla never imagined when they started out that she would feel this bad about digging into Goten’s past, but as she stood there thinking about everything, sad turned into mad.

Feeling steamed, Bulla marched into the apartment. She didn’t care if Goten looked as torn up as she did, she needed to get this out, “You never should have made that stupid wish!” She had gone from empathetic to angry now that Cami was gone. “Why couldn’t you have just stayed home that day? You’d be planning your wedding to Cami and I wouldn’t have thought twice about you and none of us would have needed to be this miserable!” She didn’t wait for him to say anything and rushed to the balcony where she was ready to fly away but Goten grabbed her wrist.

“No, Bulla!” he forcefully held her back. Bulla was shocked, he wasn’t prone to standing up to her, something she really appreciated about him. “Stop running away from me every time something gets difficult!” His anger was on full display. He held on tightly to both of her upper arms and forced her to look at him. His gaze softened once he had her attention and Bulla looked into his fathomless black eyes, all she could read was guilt. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen him like that, even when he kept his secrets from her, he never seemed so sincerely conflicted. “Please, just tell me. Tell me how you feel,” he pleaded.

She shook him off her and avoided his gaze. “I feel like a monster! The whole time she was talking I could only think of not wanting to give you up, but she had you first and I can’t ignore that even though I love you.” Both their eyes widened and they looked at each other, she had not intended to say that last part or really anything at all but the whole situation had made the lid come off of her emotions.

“That’s...that’s the first time you’ve said that,” Goten said with his voice cracking.

“That’s why this hurts so much,” Bulla struggled to get out, if she had to let her words out at least she could keep her tears in. She then took a deep breath bracing herself for what she was going to say next, “I think you should give her another chance.”

“What?” Goten turned sharply to her, “Why?”

“I can tell how she feels,” Bulla said quietly, she wasn’t even sure Goten could hear her. “Because I know I would be the same way. Maybe we’re alike and that’s why each version of you fell for one of us.” Bulla smiled wryly at Goten. She wasn’t feeling better but it was something to do with her mouth that wasn’t a frown.

“Do you think she’ll even want to talk to me? She was so sad when she left.”

Bulla nodded, “I think so. Even if she said differently, I don’t think she sees it as real closure.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I see myself in her, or something of her inside me,” Bulla said with finality. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't do much proofreading so I apologize for many mistakes. Also, Goten quotes Ralph Wiggum in here, see if you can find it!


	15. Keep Me in Mind

“Oh my god! It reeks in here!” Bulla practically squealed coming upon her brother in the gravity room. “And the sight is even worse!” she dramatically put her hand up to block the view of her sweating and shirtless brother on his haunches catching his breath. 

“What do you want, brat?” Trunks asked her, his breath slightly short from whatever he had been doing. Bulla dropped her hand to survey the room. There were no dents from bouncing off the walls and it didn’t look like the fighting robots had been engaged either. What was the point of being in here alone? Then she spied a longsword tossed on the floor and gleefully ran to pick it up.

“Ooh, what’s this?” she said, wielding the sword clumsily in her hand and accidentally dropping it not soon after.

“You’re not going to take off anyone’s head doing it that way,” Trunks said. He stood up and kicked up the sword, catching it effortlessly and twirling it easily with one hand.  _ Hmph, show off. _

“I didn’t know that was the goal,” Bulla huffed and turned away from him.

“So you just came here to bug me?” Trunks asked her as she was taking steps toward the exit.  _ Oh yeah...I came to tell him something. _

“No,” she swiftly spun around. “You told everyone to come and get you if you got anything by courier. It just so happened to be me,” she reminded him. Trunks perked up, the exhaustion leaving his features.

“So did they get here?” Trunks asked while rushing out of the room past her, not waiting for Bulla to deny or confirm.

“Yeah but the delivery guy said he needed someone eighteen and over to sign for it so he said he’d come back,” Bulla said biting her lip and fighting back a smile.

Trunks froze and turned to her shock, “Seriously? I need to wait even longer?” His expression fell in disappointment and he trudged back into the gravity room head down like a sad sack. Bulla almost felt guilty,  _ almost. _

“Geez, if missing some papers makes you upset, just wait until you hear Stardew Valley was canceled.”

“What?!” Trunks grabbed her shoulders tightly and shook her. “But they left it with Shane threatening to throw himself off a cliff!”

Bulla threw his hands off her, immediately regretting setting him off like this. “Relax, I was just kidding. Your soap opera is still on the air.” At least, she hadn’t heard it had been canceled.

Trunks only gave her a hard threatening stare for her reassurances. If she was anyone else, she would say he looked intimidating, maybe even scary but she didn’t care. “Don’t joke about that. Ever,” he hissed. Bulla only rolled her eyes.

Trunks took a breath, seemingly calming himself before turning sharply to her. “So my package?”

“It was more like an envelope.”

“They really took it back?”

“Nope! I signed for it, it’s on your desk!” she said cheerily. “What is it?” Bulla asked keeping pace with Trunks who was now on his way to his room taking wide and fast strides. Trunks ignored her and kept pace to reach his bedroom first.

“Why didn’t you just open it if you were so curious?” Trunks raised an eyebrow at her as he picked up the stuffed manila envelope. “Going through other people’s stuff never bothered you before.”

“Because I need context,” Bulla answered. “Marron said you can’t jump to conclusions based on one piece of evidence.” She settled herself in Trunks’ high backed desk chair watching him pull out the papers she had already looked over but couldn’t decipher.

“Zoning, permits, trademarks, licenses—” Trunks mumbled as he flipped through the pages Bulla was careful to put back in the proper order.

“What for?” Bulla interjected hastily. She knew Capsule Corp wouldn’t trust him with anything important but all of that sounded like  _ super important  _ stuff. A new product maybe? Another building?

“My sword school,” Trunks said, still looking over the papers.

“Excuse me, your what?” Bulla’s mouth dropped open in surprise.  _ Trunks? Opening a school?! For swords of all things!  _ “Since when are you into swords?”

“Come out of your bubble, onion baby,” he said, ruffling her hair which she didn’t appreciate and batted his hands away. “This whole Go-teen thing got me thinking, you don’t need to be young to follow your dreams—”

“This is your dream?” Bulla interrupted him again. “You can summon deadly energy from your fingertips but you want to play with swords?” She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it. It was like using a slingshot when you had an atomic bomb. 

“Hey now, swordsmanship isn’t all about maiming and killing; it’s an art. See, you wouldn’t know because you’re clumsy and spontaneous and lack the necessary methodical nature to appreciate sword fighting.”

Bulla huffed and crossed her arms. “I’m not clumsy,” she said getting up to leave. She couldn’t argue over the other stuff he said. 

Trunks smirked and put his papers down, focusing on her. “I saw Marron following her own passions, and you and Go-teen discovering yours, and I wanted to feel that way. I’ve always loved swords but I thought of it more as a hobby but I discovered something,” Trunks said getting more and more visibly excited as he spoke. He looked absolutely fervent now and Bulla started to back away slowly.

When Bulla’s enthusiasm didn’t match his, Trunks moved closer to her and made uncomfortable eye contact but Bulla couldn’t look away; it was like he had been overcome with demon energy that forced her to keep her attention on him. 

“Did you know you can channel your energy into weapons?” Trunks asked.

Bulla shook her head. Trunks being passionate certainly unsettled her, she had never seen him really care about stuff, let alone his own ambitions. 

“You can,” Trunks insisted. “It will be more effective and precise than energy blasts alone. It will take more focus than brute strength so there are the mental exercises as well,” Trunks said with his face getting closer and closer to hers; they were nearly nose-to-nose now.

“I’m going to call it Kikōkenjutsu "Energy Control Fencing" Sword School!” he said proudly backing away from her spreading his hands over an imaginary marquee. Bulla was—quite frankly—relieved he wasn’t so close to her anymore.

“I wish you an ounce of luck, but nothing more,” Bulla joked to Trunks, trying to settle herself after that eerie experience. She earned herself a smile from her brother in return for not hating the idea, she guessed. “And that name sounds horrible by the way.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Trunks admitted, nodding. “But it will catch on!” he added, looking confident.

It was niggling at her though, Trunks had never done anything of this magnitude alone. Come to think of it, did he ever do anything alone? If he wasn’t spending his time with Goten, he was with Marron and if not her, more often than not Trunks was eager to hang out with Bulla and Go-teen.

“Um, do you have a partner or anything? It seems like a lot to take on, and you don’t have much work experience do you?” Bulla pointed out. She didn’t know why she was getting worked up over it, it’s not as if Trunks venture would end up in financial ruin. If he wanted he could probably have his business go on indefinitely without any paying clients. He seemed so passionate at the moment that Bulla half expected him not to charge anyone.

“Believe it or not, I have been thinking about this for a long time,” Trunks revealed. “Goten was unhappy at the bank, I figured he’d jump at the chance when I was ready…” he drifted off looking contemplative and shook his head. “I never told him any of my plans though, kind of just assumed he would go along with them,” he added having the good grace to look a little sheepish.

“Yeah, if he was still his old self he probably would have,” Bulla agreed. Despite not speaking much to the older Goten, Bulla had observed enough of his and Trunks’ dynamic to see who called the shots.

“I miss that guy,” Trunks said with a far off smile.

* * *

“Not this again,” the blonde woman shook her head as she tried to move past Bulla, her arms laden with grocery bags.

“Here,” Bulla said and, without waiting for Cami’s permission, easily took the bags from her.

“Thanks,” Cami mumbled and reached into her pocket for her keys. Taking a moment to observe her surroundings, Bulla saw Cami had done well for herself; not many could afford such a nice home in West City. It was the typical cylindrical style popular in their part of the world but it looked to be at least three stories, whereas most homes were the typical single-story dome.

Bulla gave a low whistle as she walked into the foyer after Cami. “Nice place you’ve got here.” Unlike the futuristic look of other places in West City, Cami was more of a traditional girl with rich wood furnishings and classic decor of a time gone by.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Not knowing where the kitchen was, Bulla moved the sliding door to the left of her to explore.  _ Marron would be okay with this,  _ Bulla thought as she moved to peek in with narrowed eyes.  _ Know your enemy. _

“That’s where I see clients,” Cami said when she saw where Bulla was going. _Clients? Is she a prostitute? Dominatrix?_ _She didn’t tell me not to go in. _Taking a good look inside the room, Bulla saw it was spacious with lots of light. It was even decorated differently from the other part of her house with a playful and colorful look. On one side were shelves filled with toys and books. In one corner, there was a small desk and art supplies. _Nanny? _However, on the other side was a comfy looking sofa and a high backed chair along with a row of filing cabinets behind a desk.

“C’mon, the kitchen is this way,” Cami motioned to Bulla, drawing her out of her observations.

“What is this quartz?” Bulla said knocking on one of Cami’s countertops after she had set the groceries down in Cami’s equally stunningly decorated kitchen.

“Yes, but you’re obviously not here to judge my kitchen remodel,” Cami stared at her pointedly. “I told you, I don’t make decisions for other people and I consider chapter two of Goten over.”

“There is no decision, that’s the point!” Bulla pointed out acting more emotional than she would have liked. “How can Go-teen make a proper decision? He doesn’t remember you and it’s not fair to you is it?”

“If you’re trying to do this for your own conscience, well, you’re fine,” Cami said as she went through her bags to put her groceries away. There was nothing exciting there but maybe if Marron was around she’d be able to glean something from Cami’s food choices. However, Bulla did notice the bland cereal Cami picked out. Goten hated that stuff. “It’s been almost a year. I told you all I needed was closure to move on.” Somehow, Cami seemed to see right through Bulla’s motives to reunite her and Goten; she did feel tremendously guilty.

“Removing yourself from the equation makes it an illusion of choice,” Bulla said, grasping at vague concepts to make her case. Truthfully, she had no idea what she was trying to get at.

“Yes, why would I want to go through all the trouble of putting us on even ground only to still lose out in the end? And as a matter of fact, why would you?” Cami said, staring her down. Bulla frowned at that. “You don’t even know me. You don’t owe  _ me  _ anything.” Bulla did not miss the way Cami had emphasized “me.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad about it,” Bulla argued back though her heart wasn’t it. She had to stop and ask herself what she was doing here again, trying to convince a woman who wouldn’t budge to alleviate Bulla’s own guilt over the situation.

“Bulla, are you a narcissist?” Cami asked casually.

“What?!” that certainly caught Bulla off-guard. Coming here was definitely a mistake, she didn’t need to be psychoanalyzed. “Of course not!” she defended herself not knowing the criteria for a narcissist. All she knew is she didn’t want to be one.

“Then why do you have this grandiose sense of self-importance?” 

_ I do not!  _ She wanted to argue back. “What are you going on about?” She fought for control of her physical reactions but was failing. Bulla could feel the heat coming to her cheeks and knew she was turning red and flustered. 

“Why do you think this whole situation is under your control?”  _ Damn, she’s good. _

“It’s not,” she replied quietly, giving up her attempt to appear collected.

“Then stop blaming yourself,” Cami said kindly and moved to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “The person who put the wheels in motion doesn’t exist anymore.”

“But that’s because of me,” Bulla said, her confession tumbling out. “I know Goten would go back to his old self if it wasn’t for me. Everyone else wants him to and you know he’s just that type of guy to make the people he loves happy. Gohan, Trunks, Pan, and even Marron want their old Goten back. They don’t even have to express it, how can you not miss the person you grew up with?”

“I see now,” Cami nodded sagely. “You don’t want to be the reason your friends and family can’t have their Goten back.”

“Yes,” Bulla admitted aloud for the first time. “That and I’m still mad at him for not telling me about you. He may not even have me if he decides to stay this way and then what would the whole point of him staying sixteen be?” Bulla said.

Cami gave a chuckle. It was refreshing to see considering she had inadvertently made this woman miserable. “Cut him some slack. He’s come down with a case of teenager brain. He’s processing things through his amygdala, the emotional part of the brain. You guys don’t think so much as feel at this age.”

“So you still wouldn’t take Goten back even if he went back to being a legal age?”

“Twenty-nine year old Goten’s pre-frontal cortex was already fully developed,” she said frowning. “You really don’t think that instead of proposing to me, him wishing himself sixteen again isn’t a massive red flag?”

Bulla blinked slowly. She hadn’t thought of it that way. “Um, I guess you’re right. But what if someone erased your memories, then would you take him back?”

Cami stared at Bulla nonplussed and truthfully Bulla began to feel like an idiot for suggesting it but Cami then sighed. “I suppose, right now, part of me will always love Goten but that’s firmly in the past now.”

“Can I ask one more thing before I go?” Bulla asked knowing she was pushing at the older woman’s boundaries once more.

“Leaving so soon after I didn’t ask you to come over?” Cami said, drumming her well-manicured fingers on her fancy quartz countertop.  _ Seems a little high maintenance for Goten, but okay. _

Bulla had the good grace to be a little shamed by that but Cami seemed to be taking the situation in good humor. Distressed teens seemed to be her wheelhouse by the way she made Bulla open up with a few words.

“What was your fight about? The one that made Goten want to be sixteen again?” Bulla asked.

Cami rubbed her brow wearily and let out a big breath. “Yeah, I keep thinking about that too. It makes sense he would make that wish. The idea of a do-over seemed to appeal to him,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Bulla leaned in; she didn’t want to miss a word of this.

“He lived too much in the past, and never looked to the future. I’m kind of surprised he was thinking about ours. I kept telling him it wasn’t too late to change directions but he would insist he was stuck and I couldn’t stand his negativity so I tried pushing him to quit the job he hated, sign up for some courses, then he called me pushy—which is fair I guess—and it all snowballed from there. It was just your typical hitting a sensitive nerve blow-up,” she shrugged. The two stood quietly for a moment before Cami spoke again. “You know my rate is 25,000 zeni per session?”

“Point taken,” Bulla said, turning to leave.

“Let me walk you out,” Cami offered. 

“Um, thanks for talking to me,” Bulla said after the short trip to the door.

“Just keep my rate in mind if you ever come back here again. We’ll consider this first session free,” Cami said before unceremoniously shutting the door behind Bulla. Quite frankly, Bulla was surprised Cami didn’t say, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.’ 

“And never show up without an appointment!” Cami ended up opening her door to shout at Bulla once she made it to the sidewalk.

In typical mopey Bulla fashion, she decided to walk home and process what she had just learned but she felt no better having heard Cami’s side. True, she owed no loyalty to her—even though she was totally nice—but she did start to think of those she was close to; her brother, her best friend, her pseudo sister and father…

* * *

Who said they couldn’t have it both ways? She was practically an adult already. Why did Goten turning thirty have to be the end of them?

It was tense around the table but in typical Go-teen fashion—no doubt inherited from his father—he looked as chipper as ever. “Pass the rice, please,” he said before shoveling another heaping spoonful of food into his mouth. 

Gohan glared at his little brother but complied and dropped the bowl in front of him rather carelessly, letting it fall with a clatter.

“Gohan, don’t be like that!” ChiChi scolded her oldest son. “We’re here to forget whatever has happened recently and celebrate Goten’s seventeenth birthday,” she said uncharacteristically calmly.

This was quite a subdued affair compared to her seventeenth birthday party but not many thought it was appropriate to go all out for Go-teen. Noticeably absent was Trunks, who said, ‘Been there, done that,’ when he was told about Goten’s birthday plans.

Gohan rolled his eyes at the matriarch at the head of the table. “It’s his  _ thirtieth  _ birthday,” he pointed out.

“Here, dad,” Pan pushed a glass over to her father. Much to Bulla’s surprise, he downed it in one go, his glare never leaving the oblivious Goten.  _ Why is he even here?  _ Bulla thought as she looked at his sour expression. Unexpectedly, Gohan turned to stare back at her in disapproval and Bulla quickly shifted her gaze to Videl next to him feeling like she had been caught red-handed.

“So,” Bulla began addressing Videl in an attempt to cover up that she had been staring at Gohan. “How’s work?” she asked in faux interest.  _ What does Videl even do for a living?  _ Bulla wondered if she even knew.

Videl looked a little taken aback by Bulla’s question but nonetheless looked pensive before she answered. “Ever since taking over Marron’s Capsule Corps case—”

“Wait a minute,” Bulla cut her off. “The Capsule Corp case is still going on? But it’s been like a year!”

“Yes, it was bigger than any of us thought. I would have thought Trunks told you. He was pretty bummed it moved higher up.”

“I bet Marron was too,” Bulla said, thinking of her old friend who wasn’t here either. Had she been so self-absorbed that Marron’s professional disappointment didn’t register to her?

“Can you tell us what it’s about, mom?” Pan piped up.

“I’m afraid not, honey,” Videl said. “All I can say is it’s been frustrating.”

The Videl conversation didn’t take off quite as Bulla had hoped and the table was further silent for a few moments. 

“Thanks for coming to my birthday dinner, Pan,” the birthday boy deigned to speak and ended the silence. “I know it’s your first term and all. You’ve probably been studying hard.” Pan just gave a little embarrassed shrug but smiled sweetly at him nonetheless.  _ She’s probably doing keg stands instead of studying. _

“Pan?” ChiChi spoke up. “Why haven’t you invited your little girlfriend over for a family dinner? Your universities are in the same city aren’t they?”

“You always say family dinner is for family, grandma,” Pan said, rolling her eyes, her good mood forgotten. “Or like family,” Pan added, nodding at Bulla.

“If things go right she may become family!” ChiChi spoke cheerily enough. Soon, they were all distracted by the sound of Gohan choking but only Videl moved to help him by pounding on his back and Pan took the opportunity to hand him another drink which he gulped down.

“Seriously? You’re not offended by the thought?” Pan stared at her grandma suspiciously after the situation had calmed down.

“Oh, Pan. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy!” ChiChi said, looking full-on sincere. Bulla and Pan shared a skeptical look. A lot of Pan’s gripes had to do with ChiChi’s expectations of her only grandchild.

“Since when? I thought you wanted me to be a businesswoman. I don’t,” Pan sat back in her chair crossing her arms. “That’s not even my major.”

“You don’t?” ChiChi looked surprised and blinked a few times, seemingly processing the info. “But when you were little you said you wanted to be like Bulma. I was only encouraging your interest.”

“Huh?” Pan looked utterly lost then realization dawned on her face. “Grandma, I had a crush on Bulma.”

_ !!! _

Bulla was screaming internally. She had not known this and learning it in the middle of her kind-of-ex-boyfriend’s birthday dinner was incredibly disgusting and she had to push her plate of delicious food away; her appetite was gone.

Unexpectedly, the table erupted in laughter and Bulla was the only one not laughing.

Eventually, ChiChi was the one to speak after the Son family laughter died down. “I’ll encourage whatever you want to end up doing, Pan.” It was a rare sight, but Pan was positively beaming at ChiChi.

“Thanks, grandma,” Pan said genuinely. “I love you lots.”

“Same to you, honey,” ChiChi responded in kind. 

Bulla knew she would be talking about this to Pan later but looking at her best friend now, it seemed like a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. 

Everyone’s plates were soon clean and Gohan was acting goofier than usual, his annoyance at his brother dissipating and things felt a lot less tense.

“Who wants cake?” ChiChi declared to the room of humans and Saiyans. 

“Ooh, me, me, me!” the three Son men seemed to be shouting over each other at once. 

“First, we sing happy birthday!” ChiChi declared bringing out a large three-tier homemade cake. Bulla wondered if she would even get a slice seeing as the guys were salivating and gripping their utensils firmly.

They all sang Happy Birthday to Goten flat and off-key but the birthday boy didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Make a wish,” Videl said quietly to Goten before he blew out the candles, giving Bulla a quick furtive look that she hoped everyone else had missed.

“Now presents!” Pan said excitedly, thrusting a badly wrapped package into Goten’s arms.

Bulla didn’t really pay attention to what Goten was getting, she knew her gift was the best anyway. She walked over to ChiChi who she had mainly kept her distance from ever since the succession of awkward moments they had since Goten and Bulla’s affair was exposed. 

“Hi Ms. ChiChi,” Bulla said tentatively. She didn’t want ChiChi to get any more ideas about arranging a marriage between her and Goten and approached the woman cautiously, ready to reject any offers.

“How have you been, dear?” ChiChi asked her as warm as ever and rubbed her upper arm. Bulla was relieved she was acting much more rational now.

“Um, okay, I guess. It’s my last year of school so I’ve got to put some real thought into what I want to do with my life,” Bulla said.  _ Oh no!  _ She thought, instantly regretting the last part of her statement.  _ Don’t take the bait! _

“I would have thought you would go into the family business,” ChiChi commented. Much to Bulla’s relief, she didn’t offer matrimony and children as a solution to Bulla’s directionless life.

“That would be easy, wouldn’t it?” Bulla sighed. “I don’t know what my plans are,” Bulla said wistfully, staring at Goten who managed to get more cake on his face than into his mouth. To hell with choosing a focus in university. She was more concentrated on the fact that in a few weeks it would be decision day when Goten ultimately decided whether or not to stay young. Bulla knew that he more or less made up his mind, but now she wasn’t so sure she was okay with it after all.

“I think no matter what happens, you two will find your way together,” ChiChi looked at her knowingly. “Whether or not I’m able to negotiate a dowry or bridal price,” ChiChi said beginning to seethe. “I can’t believe your mom turned down every offer.”  _ It was good while it lasted. _

Now it was time for Bulla to back away slowly lest ChiChi start negotiating with her.

“And after all those gifts I send with Goku too!” ChiChi grumbled quietly to herself but Bulla caught it.

“Wait, that’s you’re doing?” Bulla said, the realization dawning on her. Admittedly, ChiChi sending Goku with presents for her mom seemed more plausible than Goku trying to win her mom’s favor.

“Do you really think Goku would be so thoughtful on his own?” ChiChi arched her eyebrow at her, challenging her to refute her statement.

“No, I guess not,” Bulla said looking over to Goku who had cut himself the largest slice of cake and was greedily digging into it.

“It’s a game Bulma and I play. She won’t let us pay her back for anything so I send Goku with presents and she pretends to not know I’m behind the gifts,” ChiChi said with a small shrug.

_ And so another mystery is solved. _

Bulla, indeed, managed to get her hands on a slice of cake though she had to slap Goku’s hands away. Then it was time for Bulla to go home because unfortunately, Pan had decided to live on the university campus and was returning the same night so Bulla had no convenient excuse to spend the night on Mount Paozu. 

“Shh,” she told Goten when they took off into the sky; ChiChi still insisted on Goten flying Bulla home. “I have a plan,” she whispered in his ear making him visibly shudder. She surprised him by jumping on his back and lowering her energy to zero when they were half-way to West City. 

“Let them think you took me home,” she said, hoping Goten would understand what she was getting at. He didn’t say anything but nodded. He turned around flying back to his house with Bulla on his back. Luckily, there was no one around to watch them land and Bulla crept around the side of the house to stand flat against the wall next to Goten’s bedroom window.

Goten seemed to know what to do as he walked through the front door. She heard him say a few things to his parents and wish them goodnight before she heard the sounds of hasty footsteps come toward the window.

“Well, get in here,” Goten whispered to her as he opened the window to allow her in. She had a feeling Goku would still be able to smell her presence but he was unlikely to make a fuss and ChiChi was none the wiser considering she couldn’t sense energy or smell that well. Besides, she had already arranged something with Goku. Gohan was the real problem but Pan had taken care of that.

Accepting assistance from Goten, she climbed through his window, letting herself into his room. She hadn’t spent much time in here the whole year she’d been with him, she realized. ChiChi had strict rules when it came to them under her roof. Looking around, she saw this place was distinctly Goten's, unlike his West City apartment. He had kept the lights off but Bulla could make out he had posters, stacks of comics, even books on his shelf that contained his interests. Maybe Cami was right, the other guy was gone. 

“I went to see Cami,” she said, settling herself at his desk chair, trying to keep her distance. This was the first opportunity they had to be alone since Bulla had gone to see the other woman.

“You did? So what did you find out about Cami?” Bulla felt Goten put his arm around the back of her chair and move his head next to hers, her attempt to keep them physically apart be damned. The centimeters of proximity between them was crumbling her resolve to have a serious discussion. Evidently, Goten had other ideas.

“She seems great, Goten,” Bulla admitted, trying to be cool, inside she was swimming in turmoil, the inner brat inside of her just wanted to grab Goten and scream, “MINE!” but perhaps it was due to Goten’s pure-hearted influence that she tried to be more empathetic. It certainly didn’t help how Goten’s lips were making their way closer and closer to her ticklish neck.

“I do think you should give her another chance,” she said, squinting her eyes shut and cringing at what she said. It had the desired effect, however, and Goten indeed stepped back from her. He didn’t say anything but looked at her quizzically. 

“You would give me up to another woman?” he said, looking hurt.

“No, it’s not like that,” she insisted though she dared not be loud. The walls weren’t soundproof, after all. “Even if you don’t think your relationship with her is enough of a compelling reason to go back, it really brought some things to the surface, stuff I didn’t even think about,” Bulla confessed. “Gohan and Trunks miss the  _ old  _ you and I think Pan does too, Marron as well. I’m the only one you weren’t close to so I didn’t have anything to lose but everything to gain.” This time she closed the space between them, taking his hands in hers hoping to show him how much she cared, not just for the two of them but for everyone else they loved. The decision wasn’t really up to her, though was it? It would be up to Go-teen, she couldn’t force him though she knew her opinion probably held more sway than anyone else’s.

“There are only win-lose situations, we win and everyone else loses or,” she paused, “we can go for the closest thing to making everyone happy. You wish yourself back to your original age with all your memories intact. If there’s still something between us, we can just pick up where we left off. I’ll be eighteen a few months after the wish, some people might talk but at least it would be legal.”

Goten didn’t look reassured by any of her words or gestures but nodded anyway though Bulla knew she couldn’t take it as an agreement.

“Rowr!” an indignant sound came from what Bulla thought was Goten’s empty bed.

“Um, what was that?” Bulla asked, looking around for the source. Was it Gohan hiding out of sight?  _ No, that’s ridiculous! But maybe... _

“It’s just Bulla.” Goten went over to pick up the ball of fluff and held her close so she could rub against his face and purr contentedly. “She probably wants to be let out.”

“Oh yeah, the cat my dad gave you,” Bulla said and went to pet the little blue kitten who wasted no time in reciprocating Bulla’s ministrations. “How’s she been? She’s a little sweetheart.” 

“Yeah, she’s not like you at all. She likes everyone,” Goten smiled lovingly at the other Bulla.

“Hmph.”

“Did you just get me alone to tell me this stuff?” Goten looked at her utterly disappointed. He gingerly opened his door to let the kitten out and shut it just as quietly. 

“No,” she said, walking towards him. Once she was near enough she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pants and drew him to her, almost hip to hip. “It is your birthday after all. Who knows if we’ll get another happy moment to ourselves?” Bulla didn’t wait for him to say anything. Instead, she slowly began to unbutton and unzip his trousers. She could feel Goten’s breath getting shallower and his pulse quickening.

“It’s my birthday, not yours,” Goten said, making Bulla smile. She remembered when he had said something similar those mere months ago. What Bulla didn’t expect was him grabbing her hands and stopping her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, feeling worried. Did he no longer want her? Was her attempt to warm him up to Cami too effective?

“Nothing,” he said, not letting go of her hands. There was that comfort at least. “I’d never pass you up but how do you plan on keeping my mom in the dark? She asks me point blank if we’ve been messing around and she knows how quickly I crumble. And what about Gohan?”

_ That’s all? _ Bulla was relieved; he did still want her.

“Pan agreed to run interference to make up for being mean to you and kept filling up Gohan’s cup with alcohol while he wasn’t looking. You didn’t notice he was nearly passed out, drunk?” Bulla explained to him. “Consider it another of her birthday presents to you.” 

“Hmph, I was doing my best to ignore him.”

“As for your mom,” she paused thinking it over, “I’m not sure you want to know.” She didn’t want to ruin his birthday.

Goten raised a skeptical eyebrow to her, “I don’t?”

_ I wouldn’t want to know about my mom and dad getting it on. _

“You don’t,” she said firmly.

  
  
  



End file.
